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Photo Gallery (images by Hailey Archambault)

Oakland, CA -- The Academy of Art University baseball team were playing in the opposite dugout of Laney College for the first time on Friday, and in a doubleheader against Bay Bridge rivals Holy Names after the equivalent of almost three games, the Urban Knights came out with a split on the day. ART U dropped the first game but dug in for the second, playing four extra frames before breaking through to win 2-1 in 11 innings.

"I thought our pitching staff did a great job today," said head coach Brian Guinn. "They worked through some mistakes in the first game, and in the second they kept Holy Names off the board and gave us chances to win."

In the first game, the Knights were hurt by their mistakes early, giving up three runs but only one earned in the first inning with Aaron Garabedian on the hill. The Knights got three baserunners in the second, but were unable to get anyone around. Lyle "Kalani" Brackenridge singled up the middle but was caught stealing. Dante Redhead got hit by a pitch and then Kevin Decker had an infield single, but James Singzon struck out to end the threat.

Academy of Art did cash in on a third inning rally, starting with a leadoff walk from Joseph Marchini. Tino Leite followed with another walk, and then the two executed a double steal. With two runners in scoring position, Myles Babitt singled to right, knocking in both runners and making it a 3-2 games. Babitt was thrown out stealing, and the Knights got two more on base but couldn't get the tying run across.

They had a couple more opportunities as the game went on, yet that big hit continued to elude them. Getting runners on in the seventh, eighth, and ninth, the Urban Knights ended the game with eight hits and six walks, leaving nine runners on base. Meanwhile, Holy Names added one in the sixth and another seventh, extending the lead to a final of 5-2. 

Garabedian ended up going three and a third innings and picked up the loss, with Wade Broadstreet coming in to finish the game. Tino Leite continued his hot streak with two more hits in the first game, while Brackenridge added a multi-hit game as well. Marchini had two walks for ART U.


The second game was a pitcher's duel that stretched on into the late afternoon. Nate Gercken continued to have one of the best starts to the season, allowing a first-inning unearned run but no more as he would go work into the sixth. After the Hawks went up by one, the Knights got one back in the second inning when Redhead singled to left. Babitt walked, and then Singzon hit a slow roller that advanced the runners. With one out, Jeremy Williams stepped in and hit a sharp single up the middle to tie the game, and then the pitching took over the game on both sides.

Gercken was cruising until the last out of the sixth, when Sean Carrington hit a single through the right side. On the next play, Redhead's throw to first was in the dirt, putting runners on the corners with two down. Guinn took no chances, going to his fireman and bringing Ryan Donahoe, who struck out Zach Verlaan on a high fastball to strand the runner at third.

That began a series of almosts that helped push the game into extra innings. Marchini hit a two-out double for the Knights in the top of the seventh, but was stranded. Donahoe struck out two of three in the bottom half to send the game to the eighth, where the Urban Knights again got a runner in scoring position when Henderson walked, took second on a wild pitch, and stole third, but Wade Broadstreet struck out and Redhead flied out to left.

In the bottom of the eighth, Donahoe got into trouble but then got a huge pickup from his defense to save the day. After a walk and a groundout, the Hawks had runners on first and second. A sharp single by Carrington to right field gave HNU a chance at the win, but a strong throw by Henderson in right field hosed the runner at the plate for the second out. Donahoe struck out the next batter to take the game to the ninth.

ART U went down in order, and after Donahoe walked the leadoff batter, the Knights turned to the bullpen again. Nick Giotta came in and induced the sacrifice bunt, but then walked the next batter two batters to load the bases and put himself in some hot water. Guinn went to the bullpen again, handing the ball to freshman Nick Boyett, and on the first pitch, he induced a hard line drive to Brackenridge at second, who pumped his fist emphatically as he stepped on second to complete the double play. 

Leite got a one-out single in the tenth and stole second, but the Knights were unable to get him around, striking out twice. In the bottom half, Boyett gave up a leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt, but induced the second double play in as many innings to send it to the 11th.

Leading off the inning, Broadstreet hit a hooking line drive down the left field line that just cleared the third baseman's glove for a double. Redhead moved him over with a ground ball, and after Babitt was intentionally walked, catcher Kevin Decker hit a soft grounder to short that was too slow to turn the double play, scoring Broadstreet from third to give the Knights a 2-1 lead. 

Boyett came out in the bottom of the eleventh, but after a leadoff single, turned on the burners and shut down the Hawks. After a popup to second base, the freshman gassed up and came hard down the final stretch, striking out the final two on high fastballs to earn his first collegiate win and a split for the day.

The Urban Knights and Holy Names will play each other again in a doubleheader tomorrow, with the first game at 4:30PM.