Box Score

Carson, CA -- The Academy of Art University baseball team had a good day from one of their new additions to the lineup, but that was not enough to overcome back-to-back big innings from Cal State Dominguez Hills in both team's Opening Day matchup. The Toros scored five runs in the third and three more in the fourth as Ryan Donahoe made the first regular season step in his transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation and picked up the loss.

Dominguez Hills got on board in the first inning, as Donahoe walked the leadoff batter Ivory Thomas. Thomas stole second, and then after Carlos Avila was hit by a pitch, both runners executed a double steal. Thomas later scored on a passed ball, but the Urban Knights escaped the jam when Donahoe struck out Tony McClendon and then induced Chris Allen to ground out to shortstop.

The senior fireballer for the Urban Knights cruised through the second inning, notching his second strikeout in a 1-2-3 inning. But he ran into trouble in the third, as Donahoe walked the first two batters. He struck out Avila swinging, but then designated hitter Charles Rossman singled to load the bases. McClendon singled in two runs, and then Allen tripled in two more. Allen scored on a sacrifice fly, but Donahoe got out of the inning.

Academy of Art got their first run of the season in the top of the fourth, when career walks leader Stefen Henderson waited out a free pass. Henderson went to second on a wild pitch, and then catcher Kevin Decker doubled him in to make it a 6-1 ballgame.

Donahoe was done after three innings, giving way to left-hander Yoshi Uemura in the fourth. Uemura hit catcher Alex Sixtos, who then stole second. Thomas and Avila both walked to load the bases, then Rossman singled in a run. A sacrifice fly by McClendon, and then a ground ball to newcomer Lyle "Kalani" Brackenridge caused some problems, allowing Avila to score an unearned run and putting the Toros up 9-1.

That ended up being the final score, as Uemura got out of a jam in the fifth and then settled down, putting down ten of eleven in the final four innings and notching five strikeouts. The Urban Knights put together a mini-rally in the ninth inning, when Decker singled to center with two outs. Chris Holmes singled to center, with pinch-runner Jeremy Williams taking third, but Devin Mason grounded into a fielder's choice to end the game.

The Urban Knights and the Toros will be back in action tomorrow morning with a doubleheader against Cal State Dominguez Hills. The first game of the doubleheader will start at 11:00 AM at Toro Field.