RIVERSIDE, Calif. – In the series and season-finale, Academy of Art came out with the momentum on their side. However, after building a 2-0 lead in the second, No. 20 California Baptist responded with a 3-run bottom of the second and went on to take the contest 8-2.
 
Things were going the Urban Knights' way early on, as ART U loaded the bases with no outs in the opening frame. The Knights managed to score a run when senior outfielder Izac Bauer drove in junior infielder Elijah Smith with a sacrifice fly to left field. Senior right-hander Chris Petrosie preserved the lead with a perfect bottom of the inning, striking out two Lancers and forcing another to ground out.
 
Academy of Art went back to work in the top of the second and with two outs, junior outfielder Taj Dawson kept the inning alive with a line-drive single into center field. Then, with Smith up to bat, Dawson stole second on the very next pitch and advanced to third on a passed ball. Moments later, Smith came through with a ground ball up the middle that found its way into the outfield, allowing Dawson to score.
 
Now with a 2-0 lead, the Urban Knights headed to the bottom of the second, but that was when their fortunes changed: with one swing of the bat, CBU took a 3-2 lead when Ryan Williams hit a 3-run home run over the left-field wall.
 
The Lancers went on to score five more runs over the next two innings, taking an 8-2 lead, but junior right-hander Mason Verhees put a stop to CBU's scoring when he entered the game in the fifth inning. Verhees did not allow a hit in his two innings of work and made way for senior righty Chris Rost. In the final outing of his collegiate-career, Rost threw two hitless innings, struck out one, and walked two.
 
Senior catcher Marciano Reichel reached first in the top of the ninth, but unable to mount a comeback, the Urban Knights fell 8-2.
 
Academy of Art closes out the 2018 season with a 24-25 overall record and a 19-21 PacWest mark. Both are ART U baseball program records.