Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

OAKLAND, Calif. — Friday night started with fireworks when the Academy of Art University baseball team exploded for 14 runs in a game one victory before No. 22 Azusa Pacific took game two 5-2 as both teams opened Pacific West Conference play with a doubleheader split at Laney College.
 
The 14 runs in game one were the most the Urban Knights (3-9, 1-1 PacWest) had scored since March 12, 2011. Four different players drove in at least two runs and eight Knights had at least one base hit. Junior center fielder Joseph Marchini extended his hitting streak to four games with a 4-for-8 night and junior left fielder Greg Ivory pushed his streak to seven with hits in both games.
 
But errors again bit Academy of Art in the nightcap with four of Azusa Pacific's (10-3, 1-1 PacWest) runs coming in unearned. The Urban Knights' five errors in the game were their second-most this season. It was the sixth time they committed at least three errors in a game. They are 1-5 in those games with 11 unearned runs allowed.
 
GAME ONE
A season-high 12 hits highlighted ART U's offensive outburst in the opener. The Knights scored runs in five of eight innings at the plate. Academy of Art hit three home runs in the game for only the fourth time in school history. All three long balls were career firsts as Marchini, senior catcher James Singzon and senior first baseman Daniel Skinner all went deep. Skinner's bomb was a grand slam, giving him four RBIs.
 
Singzon was a perfect 4-for-4 in the game with two runs scored, a double, home run and five RBIs. His four hits were only the 10th time in ART U history a player accomplished the feat, and his five RBIs tied a school single-game record set by Stefen Henderson on April 2, 2012.
 
The Urban Knights took a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks in part to two doubles in the inning from Marchini and senior designated hitter Chucky Cavestany. Marchini doubled the lead to 4-0 in the second with a two-run home run.
 
APU whittled the deficit down to 7-4 with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh, but the Urban Knights doubled their runs total in the bottom half with a seven-run seventh that put the game out of reach. Ivory started the scoring with a one-out, two-RBI single. Later, two walks loaded the bases with two outs, and that's when Singzon got his third run-scoring hit of the game with an infield single to third. Skinner followed him with a grand slam to left field that made it 14-4.
 
Senior starting pitcher Maclane Brady (1-2) earned his first win of the season in five innings of work, giving up two earned runs with five strikeouts. Joel Belk (0-2) took the loss for Azusa Pacific, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) on 10 hits.
 
GAME TWO
Senior starting pitcher Nate Gercken set a new ART U career record in innings pitched with seven innings in the nightcap, but he was denied a victory after giving up two runs (one earned) with six strikeouts and no walks. His 244 1/3 innings are now tops all-time at Academy of Art and surpassed Zach Mexicano's former career record of 240 1/3 set between 2009-12.
 
The Urban Knights led in game two 1-0 after Skinner brought home junior shortstop Tyler Strawn, who doubled to lead off the inning, with a sacrifice fly. Gercken cruised through five scoreless innings until the sixth when Azusa Pacific tied the game on an infield throwing error, scoring Ryan Santana from second base to make it 1-1. The Cougars earned the lead in the seventh, taking a 2-1 lead on a two-out RBI double by the PacWest's leading hitter Daniel Martin.
 
Sophomore relief pitcher Alexander Kuisel entered in the eighth and allowed the first two batters of the inning to move into scoring position after a double by Pablo O'Connor. Strawn kept the Cougars off the board in the next at-bat by throwing out the lead APU runner at the plate on a fielder's choice. Kuisel got the second out of the inning with a strikeout, but another error would open things up.
 
Trouble in the outfield allowed Joe Huthsing to reach second base and also scored two runs, making it 4-1. APU leadoff batter Mitch Dergazarian followed with a two-out RBI single to score another unearned run and make it 5-2.
 
The three unearned runs in the eighth inning would be accentuated further when Academy of Art went on to get what would have been a game-tying run in the bottom of the ninth. Marchini led off the inning with his second double of the day and Ivory promptly drove him in in the next at-bat. But two strikeouts and a caught stealing by Ivory would end the game.
 
The series concludes Saturday with another doubleheader scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.