Box Score

Seaside, Calif. (3/31/09) -- In the team's first game in just over a week, Academy of Art University baseball fell to an offensive barrage by Cal State Monterey Bay 14-9 at the Otter Baseball Complex on Tuesday. Freshman left fielder Zach Mexicano was 3-for-4 with two runs scored while freshman third baseman Brandon Kistler hit his first home run of the season. With the loss, AAU falls to 0-19 on the season and the Otters move to 8-28 overall.

After a two-run first inning by the Otters, the Urban Knights responded a single run in the second after three consecutive singles and a walk with the bases loaded. AAU even took the lead in the third inning when Mexicano walked, sophomore first baseman Chris Vargas doubled and sophomore shortstop Camryn Hernandez hit a sac fly to score Mexicano. Vargas later scored on a balk to put Academy of Art University in front 3-1.

Kistler led off the fourth with a solo home run to left field making the score 4-1 in favor of the Knights, but a two-run homer by the Otters in the bottom half of the inning sparked a rally for the home team. The fifth inning saw CSUMB score eight runs including a grand slam by Steve Mays. Junior right-handed pitcher Matthew Ko (0-6) was the victim of the Otters surge and was forced out after four innings of work in which he gave up eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits and struck out one.

With the score now 13-4, CSU Monterey Bay tacked on one more run in the sixth before Academy of Art University made its late-game comeback attempt. In the ninth inning, Kistler was hit by a pitch and then later came home on a ground out followed by consecutive RBI singles by Vargas and Hernandez. A clutch two-RBI double by sophomore right fielder Darnell Quinney brought AAU to within five, but the visitors could not come any closer.

Four different Knights had a multi-hit game on Tuesday including Vargas (2-for-5), Quinney (2-for-4, two RBI) and sophomore centerfielder Ryan Worley (2-for-5). The nine AAU runs came on 13 hits, but it was the pitching that struggled. Following Ko, freshman reliever Alex Rosenthal had a rough two innings in which he allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits. Freshman relief pitcher Edgar Zelaya, however, did have a solid outing with two scoreless innings of work.

The Otters were led by Mays' 2-for-4, four RBI performance as well as Matt DeJesus who went 3-for-6 with three RBI. CSUMB used eight pitchers in the game, but it was Andrew Suarez-Lopez (1-2) who earned the victory, his first of the season, after starter James Slusher lasted just two innings.

Cal State Stanislaus is the Urban Knights' next opponent who AAU will face in two games this Sunday, April 5 in Turlock, CA. The first pitch of this doubleheader is set for 12:00 PM.