ALAMEDA, Calif. – Friday marked the final doubleheader of the season for Academy of Art baseball, but it was Fresno Pacific that came out on top in both Pacific West Conference games with an offensive explosion leading to a 18-7 victory in game one, finishing the day with a pitchers' duel that saw FPU score late for a 3-0 win in seven innings during game two. 

"FPU did a great job getting to [senior right-handed pitcher] Collin Carriger early in the game," said ART U Head Coach Dan McDermott. "Collin is one of the best pitchers in the league and owns victories against all the top teams. It is unfortunate that his last collegiate start ended this way."

Offense came early and often in game one for the Sunbirds (27-18, 16-11 PacWest), scoring in five innings while keeping the Urban Knights' (14-35, 7-16 PacWest) bats quiet until the latter third of the ballgame, as ART U scored all seven of their runs in the game in the final three frames. The second shortened game saw a much different outcome as each team's starter went the distance while striking out at least seven batters, with all three of the game's runs score on one swing thanks to a homer in the top half of the sixth. 

GAME ONE – FPU 18, ART U 7
Things started quickly for Fresno Pacific as the Sunbirds homered on the very first pitch of the game, setting the tone early for what was to follow. A second run would later cross the plate in the first frame on a two-out RBI single. Just an inning later, the lead would double after another pair of solo home runs, putting FPU up 4-0 after two. 

Action would move at a brisk pace through the middle innings, with neither team hitting the scoreboard again until the Sunbirds exploded for a nine-run sixth, which included a three-run homer. More insurance was added in FPU's next at-bat, tacking on another four-spot with four-hits in the frame. 

Not going away quietly, Academy of Art responded with five runs in the home half of the seventh, producing the runs on a total of five singles and a pair of walks. Two singles and a walk set the stage with the bases loaded and no outs, allowing senior second baseman Ryan Skillman, junior third baseman Robbie Brue, and redshirt senior designated hitter Dominic Ruggiero to collect RBI with their respective base knocks. An RBI groundout in the eighth from Skillman cut the deficit a little further, but both teams would trade a run in the ninth to bring the final to 18-7. 

With a total of 11, this marked the 17th time in 2022 that the Knights have tallied double-digit hits, but only one of those 11 would go for extra bases with a double belonging to junior shortstop Adam Inouye. Three Urban Knights collected a multi-hit game in Ruggiero, Skillman and senior first baseman Vincent Lontz, with Ruggiero and Lontz each ending 2-for-4 while Skillman went 2-for-5. Ruggiero also chipped in a pair of RBI while Brue and Skillman each added one, while Skillman also scored once along with Lontz. 

GAME TWO – FPU 3, ART U 0 (7)
In a stark contrast from the first game, both pitcher's came out dealing in the second half of the twinbill as each team would threaten with runners on base, but neither team could capitalize and left a combined seven runners on base by the midway point in the fifth inning. 

Action came to a boiling point in the top half of the sixth when ART U sophomore right-hander Dallen Turner ran into a jam after an error allowed a leadoff batter to reach before a double down the left field line put two runners in scoring position. A great defensive play by Brue at third base helped the Knights mitigate some damage initially, collecting a hard-hit ground ball at third and tagging Khalid Johnson of FPU out at third when he was caught too far off the bag. 

Unfortunately the momentum would not last, as a 1-1 pitch to FPU designated hitter Matt McGrady was launched into the air and kept carrying towards right center field until it just barely cleared the wall. As all three runners scored, FPU had taken momentum and watched starter Jaylen Rodriguez finish off a complete-game shutout with six hits allowed.

"Game two was a mirror of yesterday in that both starting pitchers were outstanding," McDermott said. "Today though FPU came up with the timely big hit." 

Despite out-hitting the Sunbirds, this time none of the Academy of Art base knocks were for extra bases, and they left three runners stranded in scoring position. Sophomore left fielder Liam Rizzo and Brue each collected a pair of hits by going 2-for-3, while Conrad and graduate student catcher Ryan Gamboa grabbed the other two hits with one apiece.

Though he was charged with the loss, Turner was still credited with a quality start as he matched his season-best in innings with 7.0 while allowing just three runs, only two earned, along with a total of seven punch outs. Rodriguez ended up with the win for FPU, his fourth of the year. 

"We are looking forward to senior day tomorrow although it will be bittersweet," McDermott said. "We are so proud of our seniors, but will be so sad to see them go."

The 2022 season concludes with the finale of this four-game set tomorrow at Laney College as first pitch is set for 1 p.m., with the senior day ceremony taking place just prior to first pitch.