St. George, UT--- The Academy of Art University baseball team dropped their third and fourth game of a four game series with Dixie State College today at Bruce Hurst Field in St. George, Utah. The two losses keep the Urban Knights winless thus far in the season, dropping their mid-season record to 0-13, while the wins for Dixie State brings them to 12-8.
Yesterday's action saw the Knights drop two games by a score of 13-0 and 10-0. Head Coach Leif Ekelund hoped that today's play would be a step up from yesterday but unfortunately for the Urban Knights the Dixie State defense proved to be a tough match-up as AAU lost the first game 14-5 and the second game 15-1.
Box Score #1
Academy of Art University started the first game off nicely, junior pitcher/utility Matthew Ko, sophomore first baseman Chris Vargas, and sophomore pitcher/utility Darnell Quinney all hit singles, and had the bases loaded with just one out. Freshman pitcher/utility Alex Rosenthal was then hit by a pitch which brought Ko home for the first run of the game. A ground out by sophomore centerfielder Ryan Worley and pop fly by freshman third baseman Brandon Kistler brought the first inning to a close for AAU, with the Urban Knights up 1-0.
The one-run lead was short lived for the Urban Knights as Dixie State would outscore the Urban Knights in the next 3 1/2 innings 12-1 (eight of which came in the bottom of the fourth) to bring the score to 12-2 by the top of the fifth inning.
The Urban Knights tried to match the hitting that garnered eight runs in the prior inning but would finish the game with just three more runs, which capped the score for the Urban Knights at five. Dixie State would however score two more runs over the course of the next two innings and finish the Knights off by a score of 14-5.
The Urban Knights saw 28 at bats earning five runs and nine hits. Vargas and senior catcher Florentino Ubungen were the only two Knights to cross home plate. While he was in the game, Rosenthal went 1-for-1 with two RBIs, Quinney was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Ubungen finished 2-for-3 in the opening contest.
Box Score #2
Matthew Ko took the mound for the Urban Knights in game two hoping to slow down the hitting power of Dixie State, but the Urban Knights defense could not contain the Red Storm as the second game was lost 14-1.
Dixie State managed to score in all but one inning extending their lead over AAU 14-0 until the final inning when the Urban Knights' Ubungen recorded their only hit and run of the game as he hit a solo home run to left field, his second shot of the season. The run brought the score to 14-1, but a ground out by Ko on the next play stopped the AAU drive and brought the inning and the game to a close.
Ko faced 23 batters and gave up 10 hits, and three home runs, while forcing two ground outs and four pop flies.
The loss marks their 13th of the season. The Knights now travel to Seaside, CA for a single contest against Cal State Monterey Bay this Friday, March 20 at 2:00 PM. Academy of Art University will then play its first and last home games of the season this Sunday, March 22 (at USF's Benedetti Stadium) and Monday March 23 (at Menlo College's Cartan Field). Doubleheaders are scheduled for both days with the first pitch set for 12:00 PM. AAU hopes to notch a win at home this weekend against PacWest opponent University of Hawaii-Hilo.
