Carson, Calif. (4/10/09) -- Urban Knights baseball dropped a pair of games on Friday afternoon at Toro Field including a 7-0 loss to Cal State Dominguez Hills and a 18-2 defeat at the hands of CSU San Bernardino.

Box Score #1

The series opener between AAU and CSUDH began with three consecutive innings of three-up-three-down for both teams. It wasn't until a Toro rally materialized in the fourth inning that a team got on the board. With one runner on, Jon Alia knocked a home run out of the park for a 2-0 lead for CSU Dominguez Hills. CSUDH followed that up with a triple and a RBI single before two more runs came home on a double and a single.

Despite notching a lead-off single from junior designated hitter Mike Gutierrez, the Urban Knights unfortunately only managed a quick inning in response. In fact, the final three innings of the game followed this same pattern of AAU leading off with a single, but getting no more hits to start a rally.

The Toros got two men on in the fifth, but junior right-handed pitcher Danny Couser (0-4) got the ground ball he needed to earn a double-play. Then, with two outs and a runner on third, Alia returned to the plate and launched his second two-run blast over the outfield fence. This put Cal State Dominguez Hills up 7-0 and with the Knights taking on the CSU San Bernardino Coyotes later on in the day, the game was put on hold after seven innings. The conclusion is set for tomorrow morning at 11:00 AM prior to the doubleheader between AAU and CSUDH.

On the mound, Couser pitched six innings of the contest and allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits with two walks and two strikeouts. AAU struggled offensively but still had hits from sophomore first baseman Chris Vargas, Gutierrez, and freshman third baseman Brandon Kistler.

Phillip Van Doren (3-3), CSUDH's starter, lasted 6.0 innings while allowing no runs and two hits as well as a walk and eight strikeouts. Alia, one of three players to register a multi-hit game, had the best day at the plate with a 2-for-4 performance, a home run, two runs scored, and four RBIs.

Box Score #2

Later on in the day, Academy of Art University faced off against CSU San Bernardino at Toro Field and as the Coyotes pushed across runs in each of the first five innings, the Knights were behind early. CSUSB scored three times in the first with four singles and a double before three runs came home in the second inning on a home run by Haas. Up 9-0 in the fifth, the Coyotes kept the pressure on and brought home five more runs on several RBI hits.

In the sixth inning, Vargas smashed a solo home run out of the park to put Academy of Art University on the board. AAU endured a four-run seventh by CSU San Bernardino and then it was Vargas and senior catcher Florentino Ubungen who led off the eighth with back-to-back singles. Gutierrez brought Vargas home on a fielder's choice, but Ubungen was left stranded.

Freshman starting pitcher Alex Rosenthal threw 4.0 innings giving up nine runs (seven earned) on 11 hits while walking two and striking out five. Academy of Art University did manage nine hits in the game, however, with Kistler being tagged for five runs and freshman left-hander Zach Mexicano for four in relief, the Knights could not prevail.

Academy of Art University will conclude its southern California road-trip tomorrow with a doubleheader against CSU Dominguez Hills. The first pitch is set for 11:00 AM and the live action of both games can be heard at http://www.gotoros.com/Live.