HAYWARD, Calif. – Beginning just their second three-game series of the year, Academy of Art baseball provided no shortage of offense during a Friday doubleheader with Cal State East Bay as they totaled 21 runs on 22 hits, which included the second home run of the year from sophomore third baseman Emil Jellinek. All that scoring resulted in a split of the day's action as CSUEB took game one 13-8, while ART U captured the shortened second game 13-5 (seven innings). 

Twice the Urban Knights (3-4) took the lead in the early going of game one, but the Pioneers (5-4) scored crooked numbers in each of the first five innings to pull away for the win. Meanwhile, game two felt like the opposite as the contest remained scoreless until the top of the third, with ART U scoring in the next five consecutive innings (all multiple runs except the seventh) to split the series and set up the rubber match tomorrow. 

Among the leaders at the dish was senior outfielder Hayato Niki, who collected multiple hits in both games and ended the day 5-for-7 (.714) with a pair of doubles, five runs scored and one driven in. Graduate student outfielder Landon Levine chipped in four hits on the day, going 4-for-9 (.444) with a double thanks to a three-hit game in the second half of the day. Meanwhile, driving in five runs from the top of the lineup was freshman shortstop Gabe Henderson, who was 2-for-8 (.250) with one going for three bases while he also drew two walks and scored four runs. 

GAME ONE – CSUEB 13, ART U 8
Both teams got after it quickly in the opening game of the series, with the Urban Knights starting it all in the top of the first on an RBI groundout by redshirt junior catcher Liam Rizzo to score Henderson, who had begun the game with a free pass. However, Cal State East Bay countered with two of their own in the bottom of the frame on a two-out, two-RBI single into right from Luke Novitske, with both runs unearned as an error had allowed the lead runner to reach base. 

Three singles in the first four batters of the ART U second resulted in a the first run of the inning, tying the game on a Niki single through the right side that scored Jellinek. After both runners advanced into scoring position thanks in part to an error and the second out of the inning, a Levine single into left gave ART U a moment of déjà vu as they scored a pair of their own unearned runs to finish the second inning with a three spot and holding a 4-2 lead. 

Ready again to match the Knights were the Pioneers, as they started the home half of the second with a single and a hit batter to put a pair on with no outs. Two consecutive fielder's choices brought one of the runners home, and a steal of third would lead to the game-tying run on a two-out single into left from Manny Garcia bringing the game to 4-4. 

This time there would be no ART U score to start the frame, while the Pioneers put up four runs in the bottom halves of the next three innings as they scored four times in the third (their largest inning of the game), twice in the fourth, and three more times in the fifth. Holding on to a large advantage, CSUEB was able to weather a four-run Academy of Art top of the sixth as the Knights had loaded the bases, ultimately taking advantage with two outs on a two-RBI single from Henderson. That was the first of three straight hits, as both graduate student designated hitter Peter Torres and Levine followed with RBI singles. 

The winning pitcher of record was Ethan Brodsky, his first of the season, though he did allow six runs (only four earned) on six hits with seven punch outs over 5.2 innings pitched. Meanwhile, Tristin Tatum logged each of the final three innings to pick up his first save of the season, allowing just two hits and two walks with one strikeout. Factoring into the decision for ART U was sophomore righty Dwyer Lewis. 

There were 11 hits in the game for Academy of Art though none of them went for extra bases, with Levine's 3-for-5 game top among them to go with three runs driven in. Henderson was 1-for-4 and scored twice while driving in two, with Niki going 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI. 

GAME TWO – ART U 13, CSUEB 5 (7 INNINGS)
Both sides provided little resistance in each of the first two innings, until the Urban Knights opened the game up in the away half of the third with their second four-run inning of the day. A one-out single from Niki preceded a walk and two hit batters, the second of which brought home the first run of the game. Two batters later, graduate student outfielder Travis Turney cleared the bases with a two-out, three-RBI double to right field that put ART U ahead 4-0. 

Cal State East Bay responded with a run in the bottom half of the third, capitalizing on a walk and wild pitch with a Samuel Esparza double into center that cut into the ART U lead 4-1. However it was no match for the Urban Knights, who pushed across three runs to start the fourth frame with the first four batters of the inning reaching base. Freshman first baseman Michael Wiborn walked before a Niki double put both in scoring position, though it hardly mattered as a following triple from Henderson brought them both home. Henderson later scored in the inning on a sacrifice fly from Rizzo. 

Keeping their foot on the gas, Academy of Art put up a second consecutive three-spot in the top half of the fifth which was started by a Jellinek double. After he later scored on a sacrifice fly, the second double of the game from Niki once again put a pair of runners in scoring position, with one scoring on an RBI groundout while the other crossed on a RBI single into left from Torres. Once more the Pioneers could only muster one run in response, with ART U holding a 10-2 lead after five. 

In the sixth, Jellinek hit a blast to left field that cleared the fence and also scored Turney, who had reached in the at-bat prior with a single up the middle. The final run came in the top of the seventh with one last ART U extra base hit, a ground-rule double to center field from Levine saw Torres act as the game's final run. 

Earning his first decision of the year for the Urban Knights was junior righty Koh Maeda, tossing five strong innings while allowing only two runs (one earned) on four hits to go with three strikeouts. Meanwhile, his counterpart Gabe Tanner of the Pioneers was charged with the loss after he allowed seven earned runs on four hits and three walks in just three innings tossed, though he did fan seven. 

At the dish it was Niki picking up his first three-hit game of the season (third multi-hit game of 2023), going 3-for-4 with three runs scored while Torres, Turney and Jellinek all had two hits apiece. Torres scored a pair of runs while also driving one in, Turney had his three RBI and also scored a run in addition to his double, and Jellinek chipped in a pair of runs and RBI with his homer. 

Tomorrow will see game three decide a series winner, as the three-part set concludes with first pitch at noon from Hayward, Calif.