OAKLAND, Calif. – The 2023 campaign saw Academy of Art baseball hit the scoreboard early and take the year's first lead in Wednesday's season opener against Stanislaus State, but it was the Warriors who had the lead last as they took the victory despite a near ART U comeback, closing out the game with a final of 7-6. 

Wasting no time in the new season, the Urban Knights (0-1) struck four times in the home half of the first, which was highlighted by a two-out, two-RBI single that came from the bat of graduate student outfielder Landon Levine. He was able to take a 2-2 pitch back through the right side, ultimately scoring both graduate student designated hitter Travis Turney and sophomore third baseman Emil Jellinek. The damage all started despite two quick outs from Warriors (1-0) starter Alex Kendrick, who walked one and hit two batsmen to load the bases before walking in a run while facing Turney, then immediately allowing another run with a wild pitch in the subsequent at-bat against Levine. 

Rolling early in his ART U debut was junior pitcher Devan Quesada, who allowed just one batter to reach in the first two innings (via walk) while striking out three, two of which were punchouts looking. Unfortunately he ran into trouble in the third, allowing a pair of singles up the middle to begin the frame before surrendering a three-run homer Kyle Rachels on a 2-2 count, clearing the fence in left-center. Quesada was able to right the ship, however, as he retired three in order to end the inning. 

Academy of Art captured a run back in the bottom of the fourth inning to once more lead by multiple runs, with Levine again in the thick of the action by earning his way aboard after being hit by a pitch to leadoff the inning, then swiping second base for his first stolen bag of the campaign. That put him in perfect opportunity to take advantage of a Warriors throwing error, ultimately sprinting home for ART U's fifth run of the game. 

That lead would not last as long this time around, as Stanislaus was able to draw level in the top of the fifth after the inning started with a pair of walks and a strikeout. With two aboard and only one out, Quesada was able to induce a pop up for an infield fly rule and the second out of the inning, but he moved both runners into scoring position with a wild pitch before they scored on a Mac Cabero single up the middle.  

Both teams were retired with relative ease in the sixth and seventh frames, but the game broke open again in the top of the eighth with a two-out, two-RBI double into the left center gap from Rachels for what would be his fourth and fifth RBI of the evening. The hottest bat for the Urban Knights helped get a run back in the bottom of the frame as Levine doubled into left center to put himself in scoring position with only one out.

Levine did not wait long, as a single from sophomore second baseman Chris Fung moved him to third and allowed him to score on a groundout from senior outfielder Hayato Niki. But despite a subsequent walk that led to two runners aboard with two out for ART U, the Warriors escaped a big inning and then turned to Anthony Ramirez in the bottom of the ninth, who shut the door by striking out the side. 

In a game that featured many ART U debuts, Quesada stood out as he fanned seven hitters in 4.2 innings pitched despite not factoring into the decision, as well as sophomore right-hander Dwyer Lewis who tossed multiple solid innings in relief despite taking the loss. At the dish it was another newcomer in Levine, as he collected two of ART U's three hits and their only extra-base hit, ending his night 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and a run scored. Fung tallied the other hit, while both Niki and Turney had an RBI apiece. 

There will be a short turnaround for the Urban Knights, as ART U returns to the field this weekend when they begin a series with Sonoma State that consists of a doubleheader on Saturday with first pitch times of 1 and 4 p.m., before the three-game set concludes on Sunday at 1 p.m.