SAN DIEGO – Hoping to stifle Point Loma's offense for the second day in a row, junior right-hander Ben Kaser was sent to the mound for his ninth start of the season. Despite allowing just five hits in his 3.2 inning of work, the Sea Lions' Micah Pries had his number from the get-go, launching two 3-run home runs, ultimately propelling PLNU to an 11-7 win.
 
Point Loma scored their first three runs in the opening frame, but Kaser appeared to settle down afterwards as he did not allow a hit in the second or third innings. However, the Sea Lions picked things back up in the fourth as they sent eight batters to the plate, collecting three hits and five runs to make it an 8-0 lead.
 
The Urban Knights roared back in the following frame however, striking for five runs in the top of the sixth. Junior outfielder Taj Dawson led off the inning with ART U's first hit of the game, a single up the middle. Another single and a walk set up a bases-loaded, one out situation for senior outfielder Evan Ray. After working the count to 3-1, he watched ball number four go by, walking home the Knights' first run of the game. However, ART U was far from finished, as a sacrifice fly from senior catcher Marciano Reichel drove in another run and, after senior outfielder Izac Bauer walked on seven pitches, the Urban Knights found themselves with the bases loaded once again as junior infielder Robert "Gio" Villanueva went up to bat. With an 0-2 count, PLNU had nearly escaped the jam, but Villanueva had other plans, lacing a double to right field to clear the bases, collecting three runs batted in. The inning came to an end two batters later, but it was not before ART U had pulled themselves back into contention with a 5-run inning.
 
Now trailing 8-5, junior right-hander Mason Verhees returned to the mound after replacing Kaser with two outs in the fourth. After producing a shutdown inning, he left the game in the bottom of the seventh. The San Diego native was strong in his 2.1 innings pitched, allowing just one hit, two walks, and did not allow a run.
 
In the eighth inning, the Urban Knights nearly came all the way back, scoring a pair of runs thanks to an RBI double from Bauer and a sacrifice fly from senior infielder Taylor Martin. Then, with two outs and runners on first and second, junior infielder Angel Mora delivered a single to center which was fielder by Point Loma's shortstop. On the play, Villanueva attempted to score the tying run from second, but he was thrown out at the plate to end the inning and the Knights' comeback attempt.
 
The Sea Lions put the game away for good in their half of the inning as they responded with three runs of their own to make it an 11-7 ballgame in the eighth. Looking to come back once again, senior outfielder Jackson Murphy led off the ninth with a double down the right field line. Murphy managed to move to third, but ART U was unable to bring him in, and they fell 11-7.
 
The Urban Knights scored their seven runs off of seven hits, but Mora was the only Knight to record multiple base knocks (2-for-5 with a run scored). Villanueva drove in three RBI in his 1-for-4 day and Dawson reached base three times (including twice in the sixth), going 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. ART U used five pitchers in the series' second game, but Kaser (4-4) received the loss with eight earned runs off of five hits and five walks in his aforementioned 3.2 innings pitched.
 
Academy of Art will return to Carroll B. Land Stadium on Saturday for a doubleheader to close out the series. Now trailing 0-2 in the four-game set, the Urban Knights will hope to split the series with a pair of wins. First pitch is scheduled for Noon and you can watch Point Loma's broadcast and live stats here.