OAKLAND, Calif. — A strong starting pitching performance and key "small-ball" plays were not enough Thursday for the Academy of Art University baseball team to come away with the victory, as the Urban Knights fell in a Pacific West Conference game against Holy Names 5-2 in 10 innings at Laney College.
 
The two teams entered extra innings tied 2-2 after holding each other scoreless for five straight innings. Holy Names (13-20, 4-13 PacWest) broke out in the top of the 10th with its first five batters reaching base, scoring two runs before an out was recorded and a third on a double play to take a 5-2 lead and win the opener of the four-game series.
 
Sophomore starting pitcher Alexander Kuisel posted his longest and strongest outing of the season, going seven innings and allowing two runs (one earned) with four strikeouts against just one walk. He retired nine straight from the fourth to seventh innings while getting a no-decision. Junior relief pitcher Jacob Green provided two innings of scoreless relief to send it into extras before running into trouble in the 10th.
 
Junior center fielder Joseph Marchini scored both of the Urban Knights' (5-25, 3-14 PacWest) runs from the leadoff spot while going 2-for-5 with a double. Junior left fielder Greg Ivory went 2-for-4 and senior right fielder James Singzon was 1-for-3 with a double. Holy Names outhit Academy of Art 13-6, hitting six doubles and seeing five players with multi-hit games.
 
The Urban Knights took two separate leads in the game but HNU managed to tie it each time. ART U grabbed a 1-0 advantage in the first inning on an RBI infield single from junior shortstop Tyler Strawn, scoring junior center fielder Joseph Marchini. After the Hawks tied it in the top of the third, the Knights took the lead again in the bottom half with a run scoring double play to go up 2-1.
 
The series continues with a single game at 7 p.m. Friday. The Urban Knights will honor seven seniors in a pregame ceremony playing in their final home games.