SAN DIEGO – Showing why they are one of the top-ranked teams in the nation, No. 20 Point Loma was able to keep a cap on the Academy of Art baseball offense during the first two games of their Pacific West Conference series, holding ART U to just seven hits on the day while taking both halves of the doubleheader by finals of 10-0 (eight innings) and 2-0 (seven innings). 

It was tough sledding for the Urban Knights (14-30, 7-23 PacWest) against the top team in the PacWest, as the Sea Lions (32-12, 20-8 PacWest) were locked in on the mound in both contests by totaling 16 strikeouts on the day. During game one, PLNU scored in four consecutive innings to take control before ultimately putting the game away in the bottom of the eighth as they reached the 10-run rule. Meanwhile, both teams were kept off the scoreboard through five and a half innings until a two-out, two-RBI double in the home half of the sixth to clinch the shortened second game. 

GAME ONE – PLNU 10, ART U 0 (8 INNINGS)
Academy of Art started the day by threatening to score with a two-out rally in the top of the first, with runners at first and second thanks to a single from freshman shortstop Gabe Henderson and a seven-pitch walk from graduate student outfielder Travis Turney. Point Loma was able to escape danger without a run allowed thanks to an early strikeout, but could not capitalize and left their own two-out single stranded in their half. 

A dropped fly ball by the PLNU third baseman allowed ART U redshirt sophomore first baseman Patrick Morgan to reach second when leading off the second, but Point Loma starter Dylan Miller was unfazed as he then struck out the next three Urban Knights. Immediately the Sea Lions had a runner in scoring position thanks to a leadoff double, and later a walk and stolen base saw a pair of runners in scoring position with two outs, but this time it was the Knights' turn to leave PLNU empty-handed thanks to a ground ball for the final out of the frame. 

From the third through the sixth Academy of Art managed just three base runners, one of which was Morgan who was thrown out at third trying to stretch a double into a triple. It was not enough to keep up with Point Loma, who managed to score multiple runs in three of those four frames which included a pair of runs in the third and fifth before a three-spot in the sixth. Running out of time for a comeback, the Knights went in order during both the seventh and eighth before the Sea Lions used a pair of RBI hits to reach the 10-run rule and bring an end to the game. 

Junior right-hander Fernando Dueñas drew his first start of the season and went a season-long 5.1 innings, though he was charged with the loss to drop his record to 2-6. His counterpart Miller was efficient in his outing, scattering the four hits over seven scoreless innings while striking out 10 and walking one. 

Of the four ART U hits, two belonged to Henderson as he finished 2-for-3 while Morgan had the only extra base hit and was 1-for-2 with a double. Collecting the other hit for the Knights was senior outfielder Hayato Niki, who ended 1-for-4. After being held hitless, the ART U-best hitting streak by graduate student outfielder Landon Levine came to an end at 13 games. 

GAME TWO – PLNU 2, ART U 0 (7 INNINGS)
Each team had their own chances in the first as ART U loaded the bases thanks to an error, hit by pitch and a single from Levine. Meanwhile, a leadoff single and stolen base helped Point Loma put a runner just 90 feet from home wth two outs. In both instances the runners were left stranded, as ART U flied out to right field while the Sea Lions popped up to short to end their respective at-bats. 

Both sides were retired in order during the second and third, and while the Knights fell victim to that patter again in the fourth, PLNU attempted to manufacture a run thanks to a single and stolen base from Connor Hill. ART U junior righty Koh Maeda was up to the challenge, as he was able to buckle down and leave the runner stranded. 

Again Academy of Art went down in order during their half of the fifth, but this time a pair of one-out singles for Point Loma put runners at the corners with a great chance to take the lead. Once more Maeda responded to the call, as he fielded his position and was able to flip a bunt to Henderson at home to get the runner and keep the game scoreless. A wild pitch allowed both runners on base to again move into scoring position, but all came to end on a lineout to second. 

The ART U bats awoke in the sixth with all started by a single from Niki, and though he was retired on a fielder's choice by Henderson, the latter was able to reach second thanks to a throwing error on the would-be double play. An intentional walk to put the force on and a second walk once more loaded the bases with two outs for ART U, but were turned away after a final lineout to first. 

It was then that PLNU struck, using a pair of two-out singles to chase Maeda from the game before finally scoring the game's first runs on a double to center from Jack Malone. Now down to their final at-bats, Academy of Art continued to fight as a pair of pinch hitters made their way on base with two out. The first was a walk to freshman Michael Wiborn, while the other was a single to left from sophomore Chris Fung, but one final groundout finally sealed the win for Point Loma. 

Charged with the loss for allowing the base runners on in the sixth was Maeda, though he did toss 5.2 innings while allowing two earned runs on six hits with one strikeout and one walk. Capturing the win in relief for Point Loma was Cole Hillier, improving his mark to 5-1 by allowing just two hits in a pair of scoreless innings with one strikeout. 

All three hits in the game came from different Urban Knights, one of which was from Niki as he was 1-for-4 while collecting a hit in both games on the day. The other two came from Fung and Levine, who were each 1-for-2 with Levine also drawing a walk. 

This four-game PacWest series will conclude tomorrow with games three and four in San Diego, with first pitches once more set for noon and 3 p.m.