Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Oakland, CA -- The Academy of Art University baseball team ended the season series with rival Holy Names on a high note, capping off their first ever shutout with a dramatic walk-off win, their second in two weeks. ART U dropped the first game 9-5 but turned it around, using three pitchers to combine for a two-hit shutout before a two-out rally in the seventh scored the only run of the game in a 1-0 win.

In the first game, the two teams traded blows for the first couple of innings. The Hawks got on board in the first using a two singles sandwiched around a hit by pitch to load the bases. Hunter Dodson followed with a sacrifice fly, and HNU took a 1-0 lead. The Urban Knights got that run right back in their half, as Stefen Henderson led off with a walk. He went to second on a groundout by Lyle "Kalani" Brackenridge, stole third, and then scored on a sold single through the left side from Dante Redhead to tie it up at 1-1.

Holy Names got another in the second when Dan Catalan had an RBI single to drive in Ryan Souza, and then a third run in the third inning on an RBI groundout scored Dodson, who had reached after getting hit. But the Knights hit back again in their half of the third inning, as Wade Broadstreet scored on an RBI single from Ryan Ramirez to make it a 3-2 game.

Boyett (2-9) settled down for the fourth and fifth, but ran into trouble in the sixth inning. A lead-off double was followed by a pair of bunt singles knocked the freshman out of the game and gave Holy Names a 4-2 lead with two runners still on. Both of those runners would come around to score on another bunt and a double play, and the Hawks held a 6-2 advantage.

The Urban Knights put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth. Jeremy Williams hit a single up the middle and Broadstreet hit a line drive to center to put two runners on. Henderson worked a walk, and in a 2-2 count, Brackenridge ripped a fastball to left-center field to clear the bases and pull the Knights within one again.

Neither team scored in the seventh, and the Urban Knights worked around a Holy Names threat in the top of the eighth. ART U put together another two-out rally, but HNU escaped a first-and-third situation by getting Ramirez to fly out. The Hawks, however, would capitalize in the top of the ninth against Ryan Donahoe, scoring three runs after an error to take a 9-5 lead.

That would prove to be the final score, as the Knights couldn't put together a ninth-inning rally against HNU closer Brian Glynn, who picked up his fifth save of the year. Brackenridge had three more hits for Academy of Art to raise his average to .290 on the year, while Henderson had a hit and walked three times. He also stole a base, his 18th of the year, which continues to lead the PacWest. Mark Scannell (2-2) picked up the win for Hawks.


After using Broadstreet in both games on Friday, head coach Brian Guinn turned to redshirt sophomore Nick Giotta in the final game of the series. Giotta went three perfect innings to start the game before allowing a triple with one out in the fourth inning. Playing the numbers, Guinn went to the bullpen, bringing in the left-hander Samm McAlear. McAlear worked out of the jam, and went on to work two and two-thirds of scoreless baseball.

On the other side, the Urban Knights got five hits against Holy Names starter Max Eggleston through the first six innings before they used the lone mistake of the game from the Hawks to start another two-out rally. Chris Holmes hit a ground ball to third that Caleb Parker mishandled, using a nifty headfirst slide at first to avoid the tag. He was lifted for a pinch-runner, Cody Edmunds, and the freshman promptly stole second base.

Up came Jeremy Williams, another freshman, who started both games in left field on Sunday. After falling behind 1-2 and fouling off a pitch, Williams stayed back on a breaking ball, sending it right back up the middle. Center-fielder Tyler Truitt had a chance to get the speedy Edmunds at home, but the ball kicked high off the pitcher's mound and Edmunds slid home safely to secure the win. 

The Urban Knights will close the season this Thursday and Friday with a pair of doubleheaders against Azusa Pacific. It will be the final game for the Knights' three seniors, Ryan Donahoe, Stefen Henderson, and Chris Holmes.