OAKLAND, Calif. – Academy of Art baseball honored three Urban Knights for Senior Day prior to their doubleheader against Hawaii Pacific on Tuesday, but despite combining for another 19 hits across the pair of games after 21 hits yersterday, HPU was able to snatch both parts of the twin bill for a Pacific West Conference series sweep. 

Following a pregame ceremony where the Urban Knights (14-24, 7-17 PacWest) celebrated the careers and contributions by outfielders Travis Turney and Hayato Niki, as well as pitcher Cannon Secrist, ART U did its best to keep up with the hot bats of the Sharks (17-22, 12-15 PacWest) but could not quite match their offensive output. Game one was closely contested and saw both starters go the distance of the nine-inning contest, but a second multi-run inning for Hawaii Pacific gave them breathing room down the stretch to hold for a 5-3 victory. Meanwhile in the shortened second game, HPU again broke open a one-run game in the latter stages thanks to a six-spot in the fifth, ultimately closing out a 10-5 final. 

Fittingly on Senior Day both Niki and Turney had a multi-hit game, with Niki accomplishing the feat first in game one (2-for-4, run, double) before Turney did so in game two (2-for-4, run, double, RBI). Meanwhile, doing so in both games was freshman shortstop/third baseman Gabe Henderson as he was a combined 4-for-7 with two runs scored, three RBI, a home run, and a double. 

GAME ONE – HPU 5, ART U 3
Two Hawaii Pacific hits and an ART U error led to a 3-0 lead for the Sharks before ART U got to take its turn at the dish, and it was a slow start for the Knights as they had just one base runner (walk) through the first two innings. All changed to start the home half of the third when sophomore third baseman/shortstop Emil Jellinek ripped a double to left center, scoring in the very next at-bat thanks to a single to right center from sophomore second baseman Chris Fung. While ART U lost a bit of the momentum after hitting into a double play, consecutive two-out hits that came in the form of a Niki single to left center and a Henderson double to left saw the Knights bring the game to 3-2. 

After the first inning, ART U junior righty starter Devan Quesada found a groove in the second through the fourth though one base runner reached in each inning. However, a tough-luck single that deflected off his glove and a walk unfortunately led to a two-out single that pushed the HPU lead to 5-2. Academy of Art put a runner on in each of the fifth and eighth innings, but was unable to find the timely hit to drive them in. 

That was, until the bottom of the ninth when the Knights began the frame with a double to left center from redshirt junior catcher Liam Rizzo before a single from graduate student outfielder Landon Levine put runners at the corners. However, only one run ended up crossing the plate on an RBI fielder's choice from Jellinek, with the Sharks closing the door on a 5-3 win. 

It was quite the pitching battle as neither team went to the bullpen, with Hawaii Pacific starter Jack O'Brien collecting his third win of the year after he allowed three earned runs on nine hits with eight strikeouts and a walk. Meanwhile, Quesada nearly matched him as he allowed four earned runs (five total) on eight hits with five strikeouts while taking the loss, dropping his record to 4-3. 

The Knights out-hit the Sharks in the contest 9-8, with only Henderson (2-for-3, double, RBI) and Niki (2-for-4, run, double) achieving multi-hit games while five others had a hit, which included Jellinek (1-for-4, double, run, RBI) and Rizzo (1-for-4, double, run). 

GAME TWO – HPU 10, ART U 5 (7 INNINGS)
In a similar script, Hawaii Pacific once again scored first thanks to a pair of runs in the top of the first on a pair of hits, a walk and hit batter, then added another run in the top of the second on another pair of hits and a passed ball. Academy of Art did not wait as long to score in game two, putting up a run during the home half of the frame when Turney reached third base after a double into left center and a subsequent groundout, scoring on a HPU throwing error that occurred on an infield single from graduate student outfielder Landon Levine. 

Both teams found offense in the third, with Hawaii Pacific doing so first with an unearned run after a single made it all the way around the bases on a groundout, scoring only on an ART U error on the play. Three straight singles and a fielder's choice started the ART U response, the last of which was an RBI knock into right center from Turney, and  much like game one ART U brought the score to just one run after a sacrifice fly from Fung. 

The fourth inning saw both teams retired in order, though it took a double play from the Urban Knights to do so in the top of the inning. However, the Hawaii Pacific bats broke through with a six-spot in in the top of the fifth thanks to a total of seven hits and an ART U error, taking the lead for good and holing a 10-3 edge. 

Down but not out, the Knights continued to battle and, just as they did in game one, scored in their final turn at the dish during the bottom of the seventh in a huge way thanks to Henderson. Facing a 2-1 count with a runner at first, he crushed a two-run blast over the left field fence for the second homer of the season that brought the game to its final resting score at 10-5. 

Again the starting pitchers were the pitchers of record in game two though they did not go the entire way, as Andrew Hauck earned his third win of the year after he allowed three earned runs on eight hits in 5.0 innings with six strikeouts and no walks. Meanwhile, ART U sophomore lefty Brian Kraft was tagged with the loss, bringing his record to 2-3. 

From the leadoff spot, redshirt sophomore designated hitter Patrick Morgan truly set the table as he went a perfect 4-for-4 with a run scored, as he matched Niki for the most hits in an ART U game this season and in program history (along with 31 others). Also key at the dish was Henderson who was 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored and two driven in, and Turney matched him in hits as he was 2-for-4 with double, run scored and RBI. 

Though Academy of Art has finished their home schedule, the Urban Knights will close out the season on the road as they embark on a trip to Southern California to take on Azusa Pacific from April 20-22 before battling Point Loma on April 28-29.