OAKLAND, Calif. – A pair of three-run innings was the downfall for Academy of Art baseball on Wednesday, as Hawai'i Pacific took the final game of the series by a final of 6-1.
Three straight hits opened the game for the Sharks (9-10, 5-7 PacWest), the third of which was a two-RBI double into right center field from Jared Bannister to jump out to the early lead. Bannister would later score on an RBI single from Matt Tsutomi for the final run of the innings.
After the first inning, senior starter
Matthew Sanchez settled down and put together six scoreless innings, with eight strikeouts over that span. The Urban Knights (5-15, 1-3 PacWest) would put a run on the board thanks to an RBI single into center field from junior outfielder
Ty Conrad that scored junior outfielder
Dominic Chavarria, who had started the inning with a four-pitch walk. Conrad would finish the day going 4-for-5 with an RBI, the fourth four-hit game for ART U this season.
In the eighth inning, the Sharks added three insurance runs off of Sanchez, two of which were driven home by a double from Sean Coffey. Bannister would follow with an RBI single into left field to score Coffey, his third RBI of the day. Sanchez would finish with a final line of six runs on eight hits over 7.2 innings, striking out nine while walking four.
Marc Sauceda would earn the win in relief after taking over for starter Brandon Peterson in the fourth inning, allowing no hits while walking one and striking down one. In the fifth inning, Nick O'Connor entered and would go the rest of the way, scattering five hits with four strikeouts and only one walk to earn his first save of the season.
Senior infielder
Thomas Delgadillo also notched a multi-hit game, as he went 2-for-4 with a walk. Three other Urban Knights collected hits, including juniors
Cannon Secrist and
Vincent Lontz.
The top three spots in the Sharks lineup all picked up two hits, with Coffey ending 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, while Bannister was 2-for-5 with a run and three RBI.
UH Hilo awaits ART U when the Urban Knights return to the diamond, as the Vulcans visit Oakland for a four-game series coming in the form of two doubleheaders beginning on Sunday.
