Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Azusa, CA -- Closing up the loose end created by the state-wide rain two weeks ago, the Academy of Art University went back down to Azusa Pacific University on Tuesday to finish up a four-game series with the Cougars. But while the last series was marked by offensive outbursts by APU, the Urban Knights battled in both contests in a pair of well-pitched games by both sides, eventually falling 5-1 in the opener and 2-1 in the series finale.

Nate Gercken (1-5) pitched a complete game in a losing effort in the opener, giving up a pair of runs in the first inning but rebounding after that. The Cougars had two singles sandwiched around a triple to start the game and immediately took a 2-0 lead, but Gercken settled in, retiring the next 12 batters against him.

Academy of Art manufactured a run in the fifth, as catcher Chucky Cavestany walked to lead off, taking third on a single from Daniel Skinner and an obstruction call on the shortstop. Maclane Brady followed with a fielder's choice to knock on Cavestany, and the Knights cut the lead to 2-1.

But heading into the sixth, Gercken ran into trouble with the leadoff batter again. Mitch Dergazarian singled, and two batters later a single and a wild pitch brought in another run. A throwing error by third-baseman Jordan Thomas allowed another run to score, and then an infield single brought in a third run, making it a 5-1 game.

The Urban Knights had their best chance to make some noise in the eighth, as Ryan Ramirez walked and Jordan Thomas hit a bunt single, moving pinch-runner Daniel Gutierrez over to second and giving the Knights two on with no outs. But Gutierrez was picked off, ending the threat, and Josh Staumont (5-2) would set them down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth to give him a complete game win.


Freshman Josh Lopez pitched the second game, and cruised through his outing with only one blip on the radar. Lopez gave up a hit in the first and another in the second, and the freshman threw only seven pitches in the bottom of the third to retire the Cougars in order. He got two outs in the fourth with only two pitches, but then on a 1-1 pitch Ryan Santana hit a homer to right field to give APU a 1-0 lead. Lopez promptly retired the next batter on the very next pitch, giving him a six pitch inning, but the Knights were now behind.

On the other side of the ball, Joel Belk was matching Lopez in terms of shutdown pitching, as the Knights got a single in the second and another single in the third, but were quiet until the sixth. Shortstop Lyle "Kalani" Brackenridge led off the inning with a double to left, and Cody Edmunds followed with a sacrifice bunt. Joseph Marchini singled up the middle on a 2-0 count to score Brackenridge, and the Knights would eventually load the bases with two outs before Ryan Ramirez struck out to end the inning with the game still tied at 1-1.

Heading into the bottom of the inning, head coach Brian Guinn went to the bullpen. Alex Kuisel came in and got his man out, getting Joseph Daris to line out to lead off. With a right-handed pinch-hitter coming up, Guinn went to the pen again, bringing in Aaron Garabedian, who gave up a two walks, one of which was erased trying to steal, and the Knights were one out away from ending the inning. After a single put runners at the corners again, Garabedian had Santana in a 1-2 count but the next pitch got by Cavestany and both runners advanced, making it a 2-1 game. Belk (2-1) retired the Knights in order in the seventh, and they would end up falling by a single run.

Marchini, hitting in the third spot for the first time, had hits in both games to put him at a .315 mark for the year. Lopez lowered his ERA to 2.82 and has further cemented himself as part of the four-man rotation for the Knights. ART U will come home for a week, starting with a pair of doubleheaders this weekend against UH Hilo before two more twin bills against Hawaii Pacific starting next Tuesday.