Box Score #1
Box Score #2

Waipahu, HI – One day removed from a rainout at Hans L'Orange Park, the Academy of Art University baseball team had leads in both games on Saturday, but Hawaii Pacific rallied late to take the doubleheader. In the series opener, ART U scored five runs in the middle innings to capture a 5-3 lead, but an eight-run seventh led to HPU's 12-5 victory. Game two was a pitchers' duel through five innings before a four-run push by the Sea Warriors helped them gain a 6-1 win. Both Urban Knights starting pitchers, freshman righty Wade Broadstreet and junior lefty Zach Mexicano, were strong on the mound, combining to throw seven scoreless innings on the day.

“[Today's games] are just a carbon copy of how season is going,” Head Coach Brian Guinn said. “The kids play well for six innings and then we have an inning where we can't recover from a mistake. I think a lot of that is from our youth and we just need to grow into it. Once we fix those innings, we'll be fine.”

Hawaii Pacific was the first to score in game one with three runs in the second all on a double by catcher Lanan Rice-Kashima. The Knights, however, remained resilient following the HPU rally and got two back in their fourth. Junior infielder Zach Babitt and senior infielder Darnell Quinney started things with a walk and a single respectively before junior infielder Kenny Rollins, Jr. came to the plate. Rollins, Jr. caught the defense off-guard with a bunt single and Michael Greene (5-4), the Sea Warriors starting pitcher, rushed a throw to first which allowed two runs to score.

After allowing the three-run double in the second, ART U starter Wade Broadstreet (0-8) got into a rhythm by retiring 12 of the next 14 batters he faced. He held the Sea Warriors scoreless for the three innings that followed the second, needing just six pitches to exit the fifth.

Academy of Art added three more in its fifth when junior outfielder Johnathan Robbins hit a leadoff double to spark the rally. Junior outfielder Niko Leite then laid down a bunt single and senior outfielder Ryan Worley put the ball in play to score Robbins on a fielder's choice. After Leite took home on a failed pickoff play and Worley later stole second, freshman catcher James Singzon would single to score Worley and effectively put the Knights up 5-3.

With the ART U leading in the top of the sixth inning, however, the Sea Warriors began to work on a comeback. The home team scored one in that sixth and followed with an eight-run seventh which put HPU ahead 12-5. From there, the Sea Warriors would hold on for the game one victory.


In the second contest, the Urban Knights loaded the bases in the second on singles by Rollins, Jr. and junior Andy Caniezo along with a hit batsman. However, HPU was able to get out of the inning unscathed. Then Hawaii Pacific followed with a sacrifice fly in the last of the second to take a 1-0 advantage.

Another scoring opportunity presented itself in the ART U third when Worley was hit by a pitch and Robbins singled. The Sea Warriors again managed to escape by way of an inning-ending double play. Academy of Art then broke through with a two-hit rally in the fourth to tie the ballgame, 1-1. Rollins, Jr. led off with a triple to deep right center and Caniezo brought him home on single.

The tie score was short-lived, however, because HPU used a pair of singles to plate one more in the fourth. With Hawaii Pacific now up 2-1, the home squad threatened to add more in the fifth. After the Sea Warriors loaded the bases with two outs, Worley made an impressive diving catch along the leftfield line to end the inning and keep the margin at just one run.

“It was a great catch and really got Zach out of a jam,” Coach Guinn said “You have give credit to [our pitchers] today. The pitching is improving and next year it will be even better because those guys are maturing.”

Like the first game, the second contest remained close until the sixth when HPU plated four runs to assume a 6-1 lead. Three runs came home on a double by Hawaii Pacific's Blake Amaral to do most of the damage in that rally. ART U did put two on in the seventh, but it was too little too late as the Sea Warriors would get out of the inning and come away with a 6-1 win in the end.

Offensive standouts for Academy of Art included Leite and Rollins, Jr. Each Knight had a three-hit game on the day with Leite going 3-for-4 in the opener and Rollins, Jr. posting a 3-for-3 second contest. With 2-for-3 performances in game two, Caniezo and junior infielder Spencer Roland contributed to the nine ART U hits in that outing. Caniezo, Worley, and Singzon each had a run batted in through the doubleheader.

“I thought a lot of those guys were due so we try to give them the opportunity to play,” Coach Guinn said. “As coaches, we're trying to put them in a situation where they can be successful because we know they're due.”

Both Academy of Art starting pitchers went more than 5.0 innings as well. Broadstreet finished with six earned runs allowed on four hits and a season-high five strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched. Mexicano went 5.1 innings on the mound with five earned runs allowed on six hits. The Knights are now 6-37 overall this year and remain 6-20 in the PacWest.

“We just have to play better defense behind those guys because they're pitching strong right now,” Coach Guinn said. “Both Broadstreet and Mexicano threw the ball well today. And you have to give HPU credit too because they had key hits at key times.”

Highlighting the offense for HPU was Rice-Kashima. The HPU catcher went 3-for-4 with six RBIs, two doubles, and a triple. The game one victory went to Greene who pitched a complete 9.0 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits with six walks and eight strikeouts. In the second contest, Toby Inouye (5-5) picked up the win with 7.0 innings pitched, one run allowed on nine hits, and seven strikeouts. Hawaii Pacific is now 24-21 overall and 18-12 in conference play.

Academy of Art continues its first series on the Hawaii islands tomorrow, Saturday, Apr. 30, with another doubleheader against Hawaii Pacific. The teams are scheduled to square off at 12:00 PM HST (2:00 PM PST).