Box Score #1
Box Score #2

St. George, UT – Urban Knights baseball was barely edged by Dixie State, #8 in the West Region, on both sides of Saturday's doubleheader at Bruce Hurst Field. Close for much of the first game, Dixie went on a late-game rally to take the 13-9 victory despite ART U's six-run comeback in the final innings. Then, in the second contest, Academy of Art got ahead early and after DSC slowly fought back, the Red Storm won 6-5 on a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

ART U began game one in typical Urban Knight fashion with senior outfielder Johnathan Robbins getting into scoring position on a single and a steal. After junior infielder Zach Babitt singled, Academy of Art took advantage of a throwing error to score Robbins and quickly take a 1-0 lead.

Dixie State responded in the second with a brief two-run rally, but junior right-handed starter Kallen Fletcher (0-2) would find his rhythm and kept the Red Storm off the scoreboard in the next two innings. Though Academy of Art worked a bases loaded situation in the fourth, the visitors were unable to push across a run and heading into the fifth it was DSC ahead 2-1. Fletcher would eventually go 4.1 innings with four runs allowed on five hits.

Though they did not get a hit in the inning, the Red Storm scored two more runs in that fifth inning to get into the Urban Knight bullpen. Down 4-1, ART U came right back with a rally in the sixth sparked by back-to-back singles from freshman catcher James Singzon and junior infielder Kenny Rollins, Jr. The two runners were in scoring position for freshman infielder Wade Broadstreet who brought Singzon home on a groundout and then Rollins, Jr. scored on a wild pitch.

The bottom of the sixth inning featured an impressive defensive play by senior outfielder Ryan Worley. As Dixie threatened with two on and one out, junior reliever Brandon Kistler got a fly out to left and Worley then promptly threw out the DSC runner at home plate. In the very next inning, Worley walked and later reached third base, but was left stranded and the Knights still trailed by a single run.

In the seventh, the Red Storm managed to pull away with a five-run rally to make it a 9-3 ballgame. Dixie State went on to win game one, but the Knights added six runs over the eighth and ninth innings to compose the final 13-9 score. Senior infielder Darnell Quinney highlighted that late-game comeback by hitting a clutch two-run double with the bases loaded.


Much like Friday, ART U was on the board quickly in the first inning of the second contest. Robbins doubled to lead off the game and promptly stole third to eventually set up the run batted in for Quinney. Three consecutive singles in the second inning produced two more runs for the Knights including a run-scoring hit from junior outfielder Niko Leite.

Though Dixie State got one back in the second, Academy of Art continued to roll in the third. Quinney led off with a double and sophomore infielder Stefen Henderson then blasted a home run out of Bruce Hurst Field. The homer, his second in as many days, was launched to right center and gave ART U a 5-1 advantage. By the end of the third inning, seven of the nine Urban Knights starters had registered a hit in the game.

Quinney, the Academy of Art starting pitcher, continued to pitch with the lead, but the Red Storm slowly crept back. In the fourth, Henderson was called upon to take the mound and despite one DSC run scored in the inning, he did not allow a single hit. Henderson would pitch a strong fifth as well again without surrendering a hit and then Broadstreet entered a 5-3 game in the sixth. Dixie plated one run in that inning though it was only on a crucial double play turned by the ART U infield.

One out away from victory in the seventh inning, Academy of Art could not prevent a game-tying score by the Red Storm on an RBI single. DSC was then looking to end the contest with the bases loaded, but Broadstreet induced a foul out on the first pitch to send the game into extra innings. After the Knights had a chance to break the tie with Singzon in scoring position on a walk and steal, Dixie would take the 6-5 victory in the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly.

The Urban Knights had impressive days from a variety of sources. Quinney, who had a hit in all four games over the weekend, was 2-for-6 and produced four RBIs to go with two doubles and a run scored. Henderson's second home run of the season earned him two RBIs in game two. Leite also had a strong day by going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI while Rollins, Jr. added a 2-for-6 performance over two games with two runs scored, two walks, and two steals. In addition, Robbins and Singzon each had 2-for-6 outings with two stolen bases apiece. ART U is now 2-12 overall, 2-6 in the PacWest.

Leading the Red Storm in game one, outfielder Trevor Goff was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Goff then also had the big game-winning sac fly in the second contest. To begin the day, reliever Troy Hunter (1-1) picked up the win for DSC after lasting 1.2 innings midway though and allowing two runs on three hits. The Dixie starter in game two, Sam Friend, was removed after 2.1 innings of work and it was reliever Daniel Zapata (1-0) who earned the win with two scoreless innings and four strikeouts. The Red Storm move to 9-6 overall this season, 6-2 in PacWest action.

After completing the season series against Dixie State and scoring 24 runs over the weekend, ART U stays on the road for its next four-game stretch. Academy of Art meets Grand Canyon for the first time on Friday, Mar. 11 at Brazell Stadium in Phoenix, AZ.