ALAMEDA, Calif. – After a Senior Day ceremony prior to a doubleheader with Concordia on Friday, Academy of Art baseball rallied late in game one to force extra innings, but couldn't find the go-ahead run as CUI would steal the game in the 11th by a final of 9-7. ART U would extract revenge in second of the twin bill, as they received a dazzling performance from junior right-hander Collin Carriger who tossed a shutout en route to a 2-0 victory in seven innings. 

Remaining at .500 for the season were the Urban Knights (14-14, 13-11 PacWest), as they claimed the final contest of an extremely competitive four-game set with the Eagles (14-13, 11-12 PacWest) thanks to the effort from Carriger. He struck out 14 batters out of the 21 outs he recorded in the complete-game outing, setting the ART U program record for strikeouts in a single-game by passing the previous high of 13 that had been done three times (most recent: Cannon Secrist on Feb. 21, 2020).

"I'm very excited and proud to have a record at this school," Carriger said. "But I am even more proud to be on this team because we have done something very special all year and it's just great to play some games outside of our pod and show that we can compete with anyone."

The win came after the Knights also received a stellar starting outing in game one from junior righty Noah Daubin, but despite tossing six innings and allowing one unearned run on only two hits with five strikeouts, ART U would see the lead slip away. While the Knights would tie it with one swing of the bat by junior outfielder Ty Conrad in the bottom of the ninth, Concordia would use a two-out rally to steal the game three victory.

Totaling three hits at the dish including a two-hit contest in game two was sophomore third baseman Adam Inouye, ending 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI, while Conrad and graduate student outfielder Andrew Shebloski also collected hits in each game. Conrad did the most damage with two runs scored and four RBI, all coming in game one, while Shebloski scored two runs and an RBI. 

Prior to the first game, ART U honored seven Urban Knights with a ceremony to recognize their contributions to Academy of Art baseball including Andrew Shebloski, Jacob Hord, Justin Summers, Jayson Summers, Fabian Barcena, Austin LaBarber, and Matthew Sanchez. From memorable wins, to setting ART U single-season and career records, to reaching 14 wins for the fifth time in program history, each have left an indelible mark upon ART U baseball. 

GAME ONE – CUI 9, ART U 7 (11 INNINGS)
While both teams' starters would allow runs during their outings, both were also effective at limiting damage, allowing just one run when either team would score until the eighth inning. ART U struck first in the home half of the first, as redshirt junior shortstop Dominic Ruggiero put himself in scoring position with a triple with only one out, and subsequently scored on an RBI groundout from Conrad. It was Ruggiero's team-leading third triple, the ninth for ART U this season. 

Both teams would score in the third, as the Eagles used a leadoff single and fielding errors by the Knights to push across a run and tie the game. The tie would not last long, as ART U re-captured the lead when sophomore designated hitter Liam Rizzo led off the inning with a single, and later scored on a double down the right field line by Shebloski. Twice would ART U add insurance, scoring once on a wild pitch in the fifth, and once on an RBI single into left by sophomore left fielder Nathan Macis after two runners had reached earlier in the inning via a walk and hit by pitch.

The game would be opened in the eighth, as CUI would finally put up the first crooked number of the ballgame with a five-run frame. Even more, the Eagles would add an insurance run in the top of the ninth to go up by three runs with just the bottom of the frame remaining. But the Knights would not go down quietly, immediately starting the frame with a double by Inouye when a ball fell in no man's land behind second base to put a runner in scoring position with no outs. After Shebloski earned a free pass, Conrad unloaded on a 1-1 pitch and sent a towering big fly deep into left field to tie the game and force extra innings. 

Academy of Art would put runners on in both innings of the extra action, including one in scoring position in the bottom of the 11th, but it wasn't enough to overcome the pair of runs by the Eagles in the top of the frame after another late two-out CUI rally. Six different Urban Knights would record hits in the contest, including two-hit games from both Ruggiero and Inouye, as Ruggiero ended 2-for-6 with a double, triple, and run scored.

GAME TWO – ART U 2, CUI 0 (7 INNINGS)
The story of game two was the starting effort of Carriger, who after allowing the first two batters to reach via a throwing error and a single in the top of the first, would strikeout the next three batters to get out of the inning. In fact, Carriger would retire the next 16 consecutive batters he would face until a single in the top of the sixth, recording at least one strikeout in every inning, and striking out the side twice (also in the fifth).

"I feel like this was the first time that all three of my pitches were working," Carriger said. "I had the most confidence with my fastball and the curveball and changeup just worked to set up the fastball. I felt good coming into the game and I just tried to focus on throwing strikes and keeping runners off the bases."

For the second time, ART U would tally a run during their first round at the plate, beginning their trip with a leadoff single from Shebloski before coming around to score on a two-out RBI single up the middle on an 0-1 count from Dabuin. While it was all the run support that Carriger would need, the Knights would add an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth when Inouye used a single into right center field to score graduate student catcher Ryan Gamboa, who had reached earlier in the frame with a single of his own. 

For his efforts, Carriger would pick up his second win on the campaign, pushing his record on the season to 2-2. Five different Urban Knights would tally a hit, as ART U was able to get to CUI starter Cole Spear for his third loss of the season.

"I was pointing at Ryan Gamboa a lot because he and I were on the same page the entire game," Carriger said. "I would think about what pitch I wanted to throw and he would call it. He and I work so well together and I think it comes from how close this team is. As for everyone else helping me, in between innings Morgan Edwards and I would talk about the innings coming up and what I did well and what I could improve on the next inning, so I thought that was a huge help. Also having this team cheering me on just kept me going."

Just one series remains on the schedule for the Urban Knights, as ART U will get set to run back this four-game set with Concordia, this time from down in Southern California beginning on May 6 at 2 p.m.