FRESNO, Calif. – Tied at 2-2 heading late into game one of a Pacific West Conference doubleheader against Fresno Pacific, a trio of two-run innings late in the contest would help Academy of Art baseball to an 8-3 win. While ART U opened game two of the twin bill with a three-run first inning, the Sunbirds scored four unanswered runs to walk off the game in the bottom of the seventh inning by a final of 4-3 to force the split. 

It was a combined 11 runs on 12 hits for the Urban Knights (10-8, 10-8 PacWest), who received a pair of quality starts from graduate student right-hander Matthew Sanchez and senior right-hander Jayson Summers, though both ended up with different decisions on their record. Sanchez would snag the win in game one, allowing just three earned runs on six hits over 7.0 innings pitched, while junior righty Collin Carriger came on in relief and would record all three outs in the ninth for his second save of 2021. Meanwhile, Summers would be tagged with the loss in the shortened second game, allowing four runs (only three earned) on six hits in 6.2 innings pitched. The win in game two for the Sunbirds (13-13-, 9-9 PacWest) helps keep them just one game shy of ART U in the PacWest NorCal pod standings. 

Redshirt junior shortstop Dominic Ruggiero extended both of his offensive streaks after he went 3-for-8 on the day, having recorded a hit in 15 consecutive games while having reached base safely in all 18 games thus far in the campaign. Doing most of the damage on the day was junior outfielder Ty Conrad, as he combined to score and drive in three runs in the two games while also smacking a double. Scoring four runs on the day from the leadoff position in the lineup was graduate student outfielder Andrew Shebloski, while junior first baseman Vincent Lontz launched a homer and score two runs. 

GAME ONE - ART U 8, FPU 4
The scoring started in the top of the second with a very loud pop off the bat of Lontz, as his solo shot over the right center fence gave ART U an early lead. Shebloski would lead off the third with a double and advance to third on an error, subsequently scoring on the following single from Ruggiero to double the lead to 2-0. 

ART U didn't hold the lead long, as a two-out single from Nick Dodd would be the response of the Sunbirds in the home half of the third, while a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth Jared Aguilar would knot the game at 2-2. 

It wasn't until the sixth when the Urban Knights would put up their first crooked number, scoring a pair of runs on an error in the visiting half of the sixth when the FPU right fielder had the ball pop out of his glove on a line drive from graduate student catcher Ryan Gamboa. Later in the top of the eighth, Shebloski would draw a one-out walk and turn it into a manufactured double by stealing second, and later scoring on a Conrad RBI single up the middle. An error would allow Conrad to move to third, and a wild pitch would give him the space to scamper home to make the game 6-3. 

Sanchez would give way to junior right-hander Ryan Skillman in the eighth, who would allow one run on one hit thanks to an FPU sacrifice fly. However, the Sunbirds would give the run right back with yet another error, as ART U capitalized on a throwing mistake in the top of the ninth allowing the lead to expand to 8-3.

Things got interesting in the bottom of the ninth when Fresno Pacific loaded the bases with no outs, but despite getting one run across, Carriger shut the door by allowing no hits and striking out two for the save. 

Ruggiero was the only to collect a multi-hit game, his team-leading 11th of the year, by going 2-for-5 with an RBI, while Conrad was 1-for-4 with two runs scored an an RBI. Going 1-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored was Lontz, and Shebloski totaled three runs thanks to a 1-for-3 effort with a pair of walks.

GAME TWO – FPU 4, ART U 3 (7 INNINGS)
ART U wasted no time in getting on the board in game two, as the first three batters of the game would reach base, capped off by a two-RBI double down the left field line from Ty Conrad. Those three batters would chase the FPU starter, but even with the pitching change, graduate student infielder Justin Summers would keep the rally going and score Conrad with a single up the middle. 

But that would be the last time that the Knights would score despite getting runners on base in every inning except the third, as FPU responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the first before tying the game with a pair of runs in the home half of the fifth. 

There were more late game theatrics, as ART U starter Jayson Summers was in a jam with the bases loaded while looking for the final out of the bottom of the seventh. Unfortunately, a wild pitch would allow Fresno Pacific to score the game-winning run and split the day's action.

Six different Urban Knights recorded hits in the game, including two-baggers from both Conrad and sophomore outfielder Hayato Niki. Even though he punched out six batters for the fourth consecutive game, Jayson Summers would be tagged with his third loss of the season. 

The culmination of the series will take place on Saturday at 2 and 5:30 p.m. when these two teams meet at Pat Bail Field from the College of Alameda.