FRESNO, Calif. – Looking for their second straight win after a convincing victory in game one of the series, Academy of Art baseball jumped in front of Fresno Pacific on two occasions, but a timely home run for FPU would steal game one 6-4 before their pitching staff combined on a shutout to seal a 2-0 victory in the shortened second game resulting in a doubleheader sweep.

Action started quick in game one, as both the Urban Knights (7-19) as well as the Sunbirds (13-8) put up a two-spot in the opening inning, but offense would be tougher to find as the day went along. Game two was an outright pitcher's duel that featured just a pair of single run innings from Fresno Pacific, and the FPU staff succeeding in keeping the ART U bats under four runs for the first time in the series. 

Posting multi-hit games in both contests were senior outfielder Ty Conrad and senior first baseman Vincent Lontz, as Conrad was 5-for-8 with a pair of runs scored while Lontz produced a 4-for-6 day from the box with a an RBI. 

GAME ONE – FPU 6, ART U 4
Starting the scoring in the top of the first was the Knights, reeling off five consecutive hits starting with redshirt senior shortstop Dominic Ruggiero. That stretch would feature RBI singles from graduate student outfielder Travis Turney and Lontz, as they would put ART U in front 2-0. 

The Sunbird response came swiftly in the bottom half of the frame, all on one swing after cleanup hitter Donte Valdez sent a 3-1 pitch over the fence in right center to knot the ballgame at 2-2. 

After a scoreless stretch by both teams, Academy of Art looked to regain control of the game thanks to a two-out, two-RBI double from graduate student catcher Ryan Gamboa in which he drove home both Conrad and junior middle infielder Adam Inouye. Both of Conrad and Inouye had reached earlier in the inning via singles. 

The lead would last an inning longer this time around, but yet it was another single swing from Valdez that would be the undoing of ART U. On the first pitch that he saw in his third at-bat, he sent a ball deep over the center field fence to drive home a total of four runs on a grand slam, stealing the lead back from Academy of Art 6-4. 

Fresno Pacific would settle down from the hill as the game went deeper, and reliever Jaylen Rodriguez would keep the Academy of Art bats in check over the final two innings to pick up his second win of the season. 

Six different Urban Knights would tally hits, led by the three from Conrad at 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored. Three others in Inouye, Gamboa, and Lontz would all tally two hits apiece in game one, while Turney would score a run and drive a run in on his only hit of the first game. 

GAME TWO – FPU 2, ART U 0 (7)
Both teams were intent on keeping the other scoreless, but it was only the Sunbirds who succeeded in that goal with a combined shutout from starter Michael Barker and Matt Stearns, with the former earning the win while the latter was credited with the save. Academy of Art right-handed senior Cannon Secrist managed the energy most innings, but a run in both of the fourth and fifth would be what sealed the game for Fresno Pacific. Taking the tough-luck loss in a quality start was Secrist, who allowed just one earned run on five hits during a complete-game effort. 

While the Knights matched the Sunbrids in amount of hits by game's end, it was the Sunbirds who did more with their hits, generating a pair of runs albeit in less exciting fashion. Matt Stearns pitched a perfect 1-2-3 inning in the ninth inning to pick up his first save of his season. 

Academy of Art will look to salvage a series split tomorrow when they battle the Sunbirds from FPU Diamond beginning at noon on Mar. 19.