ALAMEDA, Calif. – Academy of Art baseball wasn't able to keep up with the early offense from Holy Names on Sunday, as HNU scored six runs in the first two innings before ultimately taking a Pacific West Conference victory in the series finale by a 9-4 final. 

Scoring started immediately in the bottom of the first for the Hawks (1-28, 8-20 PacWest), plating their first run with a two-out RBI single through the left side by Jesus Hernandez. Offense truly took off in the following frame as HNU used four hits and a pair of walks to push across five runs and take a commanding lead in the early going. 

The response from the Urban Knights (13-33, 7-21 PacWest) came in the top of the third in the form of a two-run inning, the first of which was driven home on an RBI single through the right side from graduate student outfielder Travis Turney. It scored junior utility fielder Robbie Brue, who had reached on a single earlier in the frame and moved into scoring position when junior middle infielder Adam Inouye was hit by a pitch. Also on Turney's single, Inouye moved from first to third, setting up runners on the corners still with only one out. In the following at-bat, Inouye and Turney would execute a double steal, with Inouye scampering home for the second run. 

However, Holy Names would get the runs back in each of the bottom of the third and fourth frames. The first came in the bottom of the third thanks to an RBI fielder's choice, then more were added in the fourth with a two-run-scoring single. By the frame's end, the Hawks had scored were up 9-2. 

A two-out rally in the fifth would help ART U start the comeback attempt with a run on an RBI single from redshirt sophomore designated hitter Liam Rizzo, lacing a 1-2 pitch into left field which was only possible after senior outfielder Ty Conrad drew a walk on a nine-pitch battle of an at-bat immediately before. The Knights threatened a big inning later in the game when they loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth, scoring once on a sacrifice fly from senior utility fielder Ryan Skillman, but the other two runners were left aboard. 

Nearly every Urban Knight in the starting lineup recorded a hit, with only Rizzo tallying a multi-hit game by going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Scoring a pair of runs was Brue while ending 1-for-3, while Turney and Skillman each chipped in RBI. 

It's the last series of the year up next for the Knights, as ART U closes the 2022 campaign with a four-game set against Fresno Pacific beginning on Apr. 28, with Senior Day marking an end to the year on Saturday, Apr. 30.