ALAMEDA, Calif. – After splitting the series' first two contests, Academy of Art rode the backs of a pair of dominant starting pitching performances to sweep Saturday's doubleheader and take the series 3-1.
 
GAME ONE: ART U 3, HNU 1
 
Junior left-hander Alex Fernandez received the nod to start game one of the series' second doubleheader and did not disappoint. The Napa, Calif. native tossed a career-high 8.0 innings in his fifth start this season while allowing just one earned run on four hits, four strikeouts, and six walks.
 
The sole run that Fernandez allowed came in the bottom of the first after a pair of singles produced a scoring opportunity for the Hawks.
 
However, Academy of Art did not trail for long as they responded with a run of their own in the top of the second. After junior outfielder Izac Bauer walked on four pitches to lead off the frame, he managed to steal second, making way for an RBI single from junior infielder Taylor Martin.
 
The score remained knotted at one run apiece until the top of the fifth when the Urban Knights took the lead for good. With two outs, sophomore outfielder Taj Dawson launched his career-first triple to right field to drive in junior outfielder Evan Ray. Junior outfielder Kyle McGraw singled on the following pitch to bring in Dawson, stretching their advantage to 3-1.
 
Now with a two-run lead, Fernandez went back to work in the bottom of the frame and was lights out for the remainder of his outing. In fact, after allowing the run in the first, the lefty turned in seven-consecutive scoreless frames of two-hit ball. Senior left-hander Jacob Green entered the game in the ninth and managed to record his second save of the season, preserving the two-run lead without allowing a hit and giving up just one walk. Both McGraw and sophomore infielder Robert "Gio" Villanueva performed well at the plate in game one, both coming away with two hits.
 
The win was Academy of Art's 11th PacWest victory this season, marking a new program record for conference wins which was previously set in 2016 when ART U finished the year 10-25 in the PacWest.
 
GAME TWO: ART U 9, HNU 2
 
After producing three runs in game one, the Urban Knights' offense supplied three times that amount in the second contest. ART U started their scoring early, putting four runs on the board before Holy Names managed to respond.
 
Ray provided the big blow in the top of the first inning, singling to right field with two outs and a pair of runners on-base.
 
After a quick bottom of the first, Academy of Art went back to work in the top of the second. After junior infielder Michael Maleski grounded out to drive in Villanueva with the bases loaded, senior infielder Erick Luna collected his second hit of the game, an RBI infield single, knocking in Dawson to make it a 4-0 ballgame.
 
In his 10th start of 2017, junior righty Chris Petrosie allowed his first of two earned runs to score in the bottom of the second. His 6.0 innings of two-run ball earned him his second win of the season and the Miami native struck out three batter batters and did not allow a walk.
 
Although the Hawks made it a two-run, 2-4 game with another run in the fourth, the Knights' offense went back to work in the fifth and sixth innings, scoring five runs over the two frames. In the fifth, ART U sent eight batters to the plate while junior catcher Tyler Harry (RBI single), Villanueva (sacrifice fly), and Dawson (RBI single) were credited with the runs batted in. In the sixth, Academy of Art collected three doubles from Luna, Bauer, and Ray which helped them push across two more runs for a total of nine in the game.
 
Junior righty Sal Johnson was given the ball in the final inning of the seven-inning contest and managed to shut the door with a scoreless frame. Despite loading the bases with two outs, the Hollywood, Calif. native managed to set the final batter down swinging on three pitches to end the game and give the Urban Knights a 3-1 series win.
 
A trio of Knights collected three hits in the effort including: Luna (3-for-3, three runs, RBI), Bauer (3-for-4, three runs, RBI), and Dawson (3-for-4, one run, one RBI).
 
After setting the program's single season-conference wins record in game one, ART U broke their overall wins record in the second contest as they improved to 16-25 on the year. With two series left to play, the Urban Knights are currently seventh in the PacWest with Azusa Pacific and Dixie State tied for first with 18-6 conference records.
 
"We are really proud of the boys for the way they bounced back today," said head coach Dan McDermott. "Our starting pitching and defense were outstanding. Fernandez really set the tone in game one and Petrosie shut the door in the nightcap."
 
The next stop for ART U will be Fresno Pacific as Academy of Art heads to FPU to begin a four-game set on Thursday, May 20.