OAKLAND, Calif. – A pair of two-run scoring hits provided all of the offense that Academy of Art baseball needed against Fresno Pacific on Thursday, scoring four times in the second frame en route to a 5-2 victory in the Pacific West Conference series opener. 

"It was a really well played game on the part of both teams," said ART U Head Coach Dan McDermott. "Each starting pitcher commanded the zone, there were not a lot of walks and freebies." 

The Sunbirds (25-18, 14-11 PacWest) were the team to strike first as they got to Urban Knights' (14-33, 7-14 PacWest) freshman lefty starter Brian Kraft, pushing two runs across to begin the game in the top of the first with a two-out, two-RBI single into right field from Matt McGrady. Though ART U loaded the bases trying to answer in the bottom of the frame, all three runners were left stranded after a foul out and a groundout. 

Roles reversed in the second when Fresno Pacific was the squad to leave a pair of runners on base, failing to capitalize on a pair of two-out singles. Meanwhile, Academy of Art struck big with a two-out rally during the home half of the inning, as senior second baseman Ryan Skillman and junior third baseman Robbie Brue singled to get on base just before a double into the right-center gap from redshirt sophomore designated hitter Dominic Ruggiero. With Ruggiero remaining aboard at second, senior outfielder Ty Conrad blasted a no-doubt home run to left field on an 0-1 count for his third homer of the season, giving ART U a lead they would not relinquish. 

"Conrad's home run was the big difference maker, and the [later] RBI single by Travis Turney were key moments," McDermott said.

Kraft was a big reason why, as the southpaw found his groove starting in the top of the third by sitting down each of the next nine hitters, a trio of 1-2-3 innings. Though a leadoff double snapped the streak in the sixth, Kraft remained unfazed and sat down six more consecutive batters, three of which via the strikeout. An error and a double down the left field line past a diving Brue at third base threatened Kraft's quality start in the top of the eighth, but the freshman showed upperclassman poise to get out of the jam with by inducing a pair of flyouts. 

While Kraft was dealing, the Knights added insurance in the bottom of the seventh in just two batters, as Conrad once again blasted a ball to left field to begin the inning, but it was just inches shy of clearing the wall and would only result in a double before advancing to third on a bobbled ball in the outfield. Conrad didn't remain on base long, scoring on the next at-bat when graduate student outfielder Travis Turney singled into center field to push the lead to 5-2. 

Exiting the game in the top of the ninth was Kraft, and entering was a member of the ART U pitching staff who normally starts the game in senior right-hander Cannon Secrist. Though it was not his first relief appearance, he would pick up his first ART U save by pitching a scoreless ninth without allowing a hit and fanning one. Kraft would take the victory after 8.0 solid innings with two runs allowed, only one earned, on five hits with eight strikeouts, the fifth time this season he has fanned at least eight hitters. He also bumped his record to 3-8, and Kraft has now been the winning pitcher of record in three of his past four starts. 

"We are so proud of Brian Kraft," McDermott said. "He is really emerging as a core type of pitcher. He has won three of his past four, his confidence is growing, and the guys always play hard behind him."

Conrad was dominant at the dish, ending 3-for-4 with all three of his hits going for extra bases with the home run and a pair of doubles. He had a hand in four of ART U's five runs that were scored, tallying three RBI while scoring twice. Also tallying a multi-hit game was Ruggiero, ending 2-for-3 with two RBI, a run scored and a double. Seven Knights in total recorded a hit in the contest, including Brue and Skillman who each scored a run, and Turney who drove in his 24th RBI of the campaign. 

The series continues tomorrow with games two and three in a doubleheader format, with first pitch times scheduled for 1 and 4 p.m. from Pat Bail Field at College of Alameda.