HAYWARD, Calif. – An intense series finale between Academy of Art baseball and Cal State East Bay had an equally dramatic finish, as despite ART U twice holding a lead in the later innings including in the top of the extra frame, CSUEB strung together a pair of runs in the bottom half to walk off winners 7-6 in 10 innings on Saturday. 

Starting the scoring in the bottom of the opening inning were the Pioneers (6-4), capitalizing on two errors by the Urban Knights (3-5) with the second pushing across a pair of unearned runs. After both sides went quickly in the second, ART U threatened big innings in both the third and fourth as they had two runners in scoring position with only one out, but failed to score either time. A single and walk before a sacrifice bunt set up the chance in the third before a pair of quick outs, while sophomore third baseman Emil Jellinek opened the fourth with a double preceding two walks that loaded the bases, but a pitching change shut the door. 

Both teams got on the scoreboard in the fifth, as Academy of Art originally cut the lead by using a double from graduate student outfielder Landon Levine and a single by redshirt junior catcher Liam Rizzo to put pressure on the Pioneers. That resulted in a throwing error on the back half of a double play attempt, with the ball sailing over the CSUEB first baseman into the ART U dugout and awarding the Knights home plate.

However, Cal State East Bay got the run right back as Essex Brown Jr. was hit by a pitch to start the frame, and turned it into a makeshift triple as he stole second before advancing to third on a wild pitch all in the following at-bat. He later scored on a sacrifice fly to return the CSUEB lead to two runs at 3-1. 

In the top of the sixth was when ART U was finally able to find the timely hits, as freshman first baseman Michael Wiborn got the rally started with a one-out double into the right center gap, and did not wait around long before scoring on a RBI single the following at-bat from senior outfielder Hayato Niki. Two batters later after a walk to junior shortstop Larry Fonseca, it was Niki's turn to score as he was driven home on a RBI single up the middle from graduate student designated hitter Peter Torres to tie the game. This time a pitching change couldn't slow down the Knights, as Levine promptly sent a double into left that scored Fonseca, but Torres was thrown out at the plate on a relay play from the Pioneers keeping the game at 4-3. 

Riding the momentum from escaping a jam with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, the Urban Knights replicated the sacrifice fly formula from Cal State East Bay as Turney was hit by a pitch to begin the top of the seventh and promptly stole both second and third base in the following at-bat. Just a couple pitcher later, he scored on a sacrifice fly from Jellinek to push the ART U lead to 5-3. 

A response rally from CSUEB took place in the home half of the eighth despite two quick groundball outs to start the frame, with two walks and a hit batter loading the bases before a two-RBI single up the middle from Luke Novitske knotted the game at 5-5. Offense continued in the ninth but despite both teams putting a runner in scoring position, the game remained tied and needed extras for a winner. 

An infield single by Wiborn was how the 10th began for Academy of Art, just beating the pitcher to first base who was covering the bag. He put himself into scoring position with a swipe of second, which proved crucial as he scored on a two-out RBI single into center field from Torres to put the Knights back on top 6-5. 

But the lead was one they couldn't maintain, with CSUEB starting the their half of the inning with a single and sacrifice bunt before another single two batters later from Novitske tied the game once more. Still threatening with the bases loaded after an intentional pass and only one out, Cal State East Bay walked off winners thanks to a RBI single up the middle from Matthew O'Mahony, 7-6. 

Earning the win in relief for the Pioneers was Tristin Tatum, who tossed the final inning and allowed the one earned run on two hits without a walk or strikeout. Taking the loss for the Knights was junior righty Fernando Dueñas, while right-handed junior starter Devan Quesada did not factor into the decision despite a quality start where he allowed three runs (only one earned) on just four hits with one strikeout and one walk.

At the dish there were five Urban Knights that recorded a pair of hits while ART U totaled 12 as a squad, as among the most productive was Torres who was 2-for-4 with two RBI and Levine who was 2-for-6 with a pair of doubles, scored one and drove one in. Additionally, Wiborn was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored while Niki was 2-for-5 with an RBI and run scored. 

There will be just a couple days off for ART U, as they return to the field on Tuesday, Feb. 21 for a solo non-conference contest with Holy Names beginning at 5 p.m.