FRESNO, Calif. — Junior center fielder Joseph Marchini was the star of a six extra-base hits barrage for the Academy of Art University baseball team Friday, but host Fresno Pacific surged ahead in both games to sweep a Pacific West Conference doubleheader, 8-3 and 7-6 at FPU Diamond.
 
Marchini hit two home runs, one in each game, and had a double in game two. He posted his ninth multi-hit game in his last 13 contests in the nightcap while extending his hitting streak to four games. Marchini moved into a tie for third on the ART U single season home runs list with his second and third of the season Friday.
 
Junior left fielder Greg Ivory and junior second baseman Cody Edmunds also had hits in each game as the Urban Knights (6-29, 4-18 PacWest) totaled 15 hits on the day. Academy of Art scored to tie or take the lead in both games but could not keep up with a Fresno Pacific (22-14, 10-12 PacWest) offense that scored 15 runs on 22 hits.
 
GAME ONE
 
Marchini's first home run came in the sixth inning of game one, leading off with a shot to left-center field to tie it at 1-1. The tie was short-lived however when the Sunbirds answered in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single from Steven Lozier, making it 2-1.
 
Things unraveled for the Urban Knights in the next inning. Senior starting pitcher Nate Gercken (4-6) departed in the seventh with the bases loaded, having already given up an RBI single to make it 3-1 and missing out on ending the inning because of an ART U fielding error. The Sunbirds would get three more runs – all unearned – before the inning would end, drawing three consecutive free passes with the bases loaded on a hit-by-pitch and two walks to take a 6-1 lead.
 
The Urban Knights got two runs back on RBIs from senior catcher Chucky Cavestany in the eighth and senior designated hitter Daniel Skinner in the ninth. Junior shortstop Tyler Strawn led the Knights with a 3-for-4 showing in the opener. Fresno Pacific had also added two runs to its total to preserve the five-run advantage and win 8-3.
 
FPU starting pitcher Wilson Ashford outdueled Gercken by going seven innings with one earned run and eight strikeouts. Gercken only allowed three earned runs in 6 2/3 innings pitched while striking out five against one walk.
 
GAME TWO
 
Marchini's second long ball gave the Urban Knights their second lead of the nightcap. It was another solo shot that again came in the sixth and it made the score 5-4. ART U would add another run on a bases loaded wild pitch to take a 6-4 lead.
 
Back came Fresno Pacific again, though. After getting shut down twice in a row as the Knights held on to their lead, the Sunbirds scored all they needed in the bottom of the eighth, erasing a two-run deficit with three runs to take a 7-6 lead. Three more freebies in the inning aided the rally, as both McKay France and Baron Bower both scored after reaching via a walk and hit-by-pitch, respectively.
 
The Urban Knights got the tying run on in the top of the ninth, but they would strike out twice in a row to end the game. Marchini's 2-for-4 performance in game two raised his batting average to .307, a 40-point improvement across his last 13 games. He's also had at least one extra base hit in four of his last six appearances. His 43 hits are already ninth-best all-time in a single season at ART U and only one behind his career best of 44 last season.
 
Ivory, sophomore right fielder Daniel Gutierrez, senior first baseman Maclane Brady, Edmunds and senior third baseman Jordan Thomas all had hits in game two. Sophomore starting pitcher Alexander Kuisel threw 7 1/3 innings and gave up six runs on 12 hits with three strikeouts.
 
The series concludes at noon Saturday with a doubleheader.