Box Score
Fresno, CA --- At FPU Diamond, Academy of Art University baseball (0-7) put up seven runs against #9 Fresno Pacific University (7-0), but it was not enough as the Sunbirds took a 14-7 victory to wrap up the series on Saturday afternoon. The Urban Knights' top six batters combined for 13 hits with junior catcher Chris Vargas leading the way. He had a season-best three runs batted in and put his name in the record books as the second AAU player to ever have four hits in a game (4-for-5).
“The offense is getting better and we're trying to find some holes,” Head Coach Brian Guinn said. “We still have some things to work on, but we're moving in the right direction. The guys had some good days at the plate and did some good things on the bases. We have some guys that are really starting to hit. The team has really been playing hard all the way through and never giving up. They just keep battling and battling and we'll see what happens.”
Although the game began with five Fresno Pacific runs over the first three innings, the Urban Knights started to hit FPU's starting pitcher in the fifth. Back-to-back singles by senior right fielder Mike Gutierrez and Vargas led off the inning and even though AAU could not get them home, it was just a foreshadowing of what the Knights would do in the sixth.
Academy of Art put together an incredible two-out rally in the sixth inning which began with sophomore centerfielder Johnathan Robbins on second base and junior third baseman Darnell Quinney at the plate. Robbins came home on Quinney's RBI single through the right side followed by a single from Gutierrez which set up two runners on with two out for Vargas. The junior catcher smashed a double to left center, scoring both of his teammates and making the margin just five runs for AAU.
Fresno Pacific would get two runs back in their sixth, but Academy of Art was far from finished. In the seventh inning, a two-out double by junior left fielder Ryan Worley scored Robbins who had reached base on a walk. Freshman shortstop Stefen Henderson then showed his speed when he tripled down the right field line to score Worley.
After the Sunbirds tacked on four more runs in the eighth, the Urban Knights started yet another rally with two singles to lead off the ninth. Quinney and Vargas each got RBI singles in the inning which again both came with two outs. However, FPU managed to get the final out and ended the game on top 14-7.
Vargas was nearly perfect with his 4-for-5 performance and three runs batted in. It was the most hits in a game for any Urban Knight this season and ties the record set by Florentino Ubungen last year against Cal Poly Pomona on Apr. 18, 2009.
“Chris swung the bat well today,” Coach Guinn said. “He's starting to understand how they're approaching him and now they're coming to his strength so he's doing damage in that respect.”
The top of the Academy of Art University lineup was crucial to the Knights' success in this game. Robbins, the leadoff batter, was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and two stolen bases. Worley and Henderson each had a run batted in and a run scored as the duo was 3-for-8 in AAU's 14-hit outburst. Quinney, the Knights' cleanup hitter, notched a pair of RBI singles while Gutierrez came through with a 2-for-5 day and one run scored. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Alex Rosenthal (0-3) threw 3.2 innings in his start and struck out two.
“As a team based around small ball, it's important that our top guys get on base because they can make some things happen,” Coach Guinn said.
The Sunbirds' trio of first baseman Case Rigby, centerfielder Tyler Pryor, and right fielder Dane McLaughlin combined for a 6-for-12 day at the plate with eight runs scored and nine runs batted in. Defensively, right-hander Matt Mazzoni (1-0) earned the victory with five innings pitched, three hits allowed, and six strikeouts.
Academy of Art University will now have 11 days of rest before the team's next contest. On Mar. 4, the Urban Knights return to action when they play Cal State Monterey Bay in a single game prior to the start of Pacific West Conference play and AAU's home opener on Mar. 5 versus Dixie State College.
