OAKLAND, Calif. – It was a high-scoring affair in both of Tuesday's games with the Urban Knights (7-14, 2-5 PacWest), dropping the final two games of the series against Dixie State (17-5, 5-3 PacWest).
 
GAME ONE: DSU 13, ART U 2
 
The Red Storm was first to the scoreboard, driving home a run with two outs in the top of the first inning.
 
Starting pitcher, junior Alexander Kuisel quickly settled in afterwards and and did not allow another run to score until the fourth when DSU put themselves into the driver's seat with a 3-0 lead. The Red Storm would score again in each of the sixth through ninth innings, scoring 13 runs in total.
 
The Urban Knights' would score their first run in the seventh when junior shortstop Payton Milone drove in sophomore second baseman Michael Maleski with a sacrifice fly to center field. ART U would score once more in the following inning when Maleski recorded a sacrifice fly, scoring redshirt junior third baseman Erick Luna.
 
There were a couple of Knights who recorded multiple-hit games at the plate including Luna (2-for-4), and junior catcher Zack Trueblood (also 2-for-4). Four pitchers saw time on the hill for Academy of Art and all of whom allowed at least two earned runs.
 
GAME TWO: DSU 8, ART U 5
 
Dixie State was again the first to score, but this time they recorded a big second inning, plating six runs in total. After DSU knocked in another run in the third, the Urban Knights looked to the fourth to have a big inning.
 
Senior first baseman Tyler Strawn and Maleski reached to open the frame, setting up a groundout to shortstop from Trueblood which allowed Strawn to cross the plate. After freshman infielder Daniel Farfan walked on four pitches, Milone stepped up to the plate looking to deliver. The junior singed to right field on the third pitch of the at-bat which allowed Maleski to come around to score and forced the Red Storm to make a pitching change. ART U scored two more times in the fourth thanks to runs batted in from Luna and senior right fielder Cody Edmunds.
 
Now only trailing by three runs, it seemed as if ART U was playing with a renewed sense of purpose, knowing that they might be able to make a run to tie the game. Dixie State did their best to prevent this, scoring once more in the sixth to extend their lead to 8-4.
 
In the following frame, Academy of Art scored their final run of the contest when senior center fielder Joseph Marchini singled to center field to score Ivory from second base.
 
Each of ART U's five runs batted in were creditd to different players including (Luna, Marchini, Trueblood, Farfan, and Edmunds. Freshman right hander Roman Martinez received the bulk of the innings after coming in to relieve junior Chris Rost who departed due to an injury in the second inning. In total, Martinez tossed 5.1 innings on nine hits, four runs (two earned), and four strikeouts.
 
The Urban Knights' next series begins on Friday, March 18 when Academy of Art hits the road for the first time since the middle of February. Their opponent comes in the form of Concordia University Irvine who is currently 12-16 and 8-8 in conference play.