Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

San Diego, CA -- Opening up the final series of 2014, the Academy of Art University baseball team faced another tough matchup on the mound, as Point Loma Nazarene University had a pair of pitchers outduel the Urban Knights in Friday's doubleheader. ART U was in both games for the most part but only managed single runs in each game, falling 8-1 and 5-1 to the Sea Lions. 

Maclane Brady (1-4) started the first game and immediately ran into trouble, giving up a pair of runs in the first inning and two more in the second before giving way to Nick Boyett, who took over already at a 4-0 deficit. Academy of Art got one back in the fourth inning against Kellen Sheppard (5-4) when Daniel Skinner and Dante Redhead hit back-to-back singles with two outs, followed by a double from Jordan Thomas to score Skinner from second to make it 4-1.

But PLNU would add on, as they got that run back immediately in the bottom of the fourth against Boyett, using an RBI single from Tyler Nordgren to score a run and make it 5-1. Two innings later it was Nordgren again who did the damage, hitting a three-run homer in the sixth to make it 8-1, which would prove to be the final score.

Redhead picked up a pair of hits for the Knights, who had all of their baserunners from the fourth through seventh spots in the lineup. Alex Kuisel pitched the final two innings in relief, giving up only two hits and no runs. Sheppard went the distance for the Sea Lions, giving up the one run and striking out six. 


Freshman Josh Lopez started the second game and did well, keeping the ball around the plate as he has all season. The only time he got in hot waer was in the fifth inning, when he gave up three straight singles, the third to catcher Michael Randel that scored the first run of the game. The next batter, Jack Spohn, flied out to center to make it 2-0, and the Knights went to the bullpen. Drew Keeler gave up a walk and a single, but with the bases loaded he induced a double play and the Knights kept the deficit at two.

The Sea Lions would score another in the seventh off of Keeler and two more in the eighth on a single and a sacrifice fly against Paul Durbak to make it 5-1. On the other side of the ball, Kevin Lillicrop stymied the Urban Knights hitters, who were putting the ball in play but not finding the holes. They managed to get a run in the ninth inning, when Daniel Robertson hit his first career homer in an 0-2 count, but that was one of only two hits on the day giving up by Lillicrop, and the Knights fell in the afternoon game. 

The teams will play another doubleheader at noon on Saturday, marking the end of the 2014 season for both teams.