OAKLAND, Calif. – Though originally slated to play 16 innings, Academy of Art and SF State ended up needing 20 to settle a doubleheader out at Laney College on Sunday. After ART U came from behind to tie the opener with clutch run-producing hits in the eighth and ninth innings, the Gators rallied in the 13th inning to eventually win 8-5. The series finale, however, was dominated by the Urban Knights and junior pitcher Luke Lacy (1-0) in particular. His first start in an Academy of Art uniform featured a complete game with eight strikeouts and it was junior infielder Brennan Mauchline's two-run homer that gave ART U the early margin it needed to later triumph 5-1.

GAME 1
Though starter Chris Petrosie (0-0) retired the first three batters he faced, SF State put three runs on the board with three hits in the second inning. The Knights snatched two back in the third when an infield single by junior infielder Michael Maleski was followed by a run-producing groundout off senior infielder Erick Luna's bat and it was suddenly a one-run affair.

Another Gators rally came in the fifth, but it only produced one run as junior pitcher Alex Fernandez (0-1) ended the threat with a strikeout. A 4-2 game over the course of the next two innings, it was not until the top of the eighth that SF State added to its lead with a solo home run by Chris Nicholson. ART U's answer came promptly in the bottom half when junior outfielder Izac Bauer singled home two with the bases loaded.

A leadoff walk by senior outfielder Cameron Jones began the ninth and the Knights managed to manufacture the tying run on a bunt, a groundout, and junior outfielder Jackson Murphy's single.

Now a battle of the bullpens, SF State called upon Cy Vojak (1-0) while Academy of Art went to senior lefty Jacob Green (0-0) and that pair combined to throw 5.0 scoreless innings, sending the 5-5 game into the 13th. There, the Gators struck for three runs all with two outs against junior righty Sal Johnson (0-1) and, though ART U brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom half, one final out secured the 8-5 victory for SF State.

GAME 2
Eager to put the more than four-hour opener behind them, the Urban Knights got on the board first in game two. Junior infielder Brennan Mauchline did the honors with a two-out, two-run homer over the left field fence.

Neither side scored in the third inning and Lacy, who had made three appearances prior to Sunday, had settled in by that point, retiring 10 of the first 13 batters he faced. He struck out two in the third and two more in the fourth, but allowed one run the latter on a walk and a pair of singles. Lacy would strike his way out of bases loaded jams in both the fourth and fifth, preserving a 3-1 lead to that point.

The sixth inning featured another Academy of Art rally with two runs coming in on junior catcher Tyler Harry's first hit, a double, in an ART U uniform. Defense continued to be key for the Knights who turned a double play in the seventh before Lacy sat down the final batter swinging on his 120th pitch of the 5-1 win.

ART U exits the weekend with a 2-5 overall record. Bauer joined a group of just 14 Urban Knights to ever register four hits in a game, going 4-for-6 with a double and two RBIs in the first contest. Mauchline's homer was his second of the season and came as part of a 1-for-2, two-RBI game two performance. Harry also had two RBIs in the finale while both Luna and Reichel extended their respective reached base streaks to seven games apiece.

SF State moves on from its first series 2-1 overall. Though Myles Franklin (4-for-7), Jordan Abernathy (3-for-7), and Bryce Brooks (3-for-7) combined to go 10-for-21 in game one, Lacy held that trio to 0-for-5 in game two. Abernathy had three RBIs, all in the opening contest. Cy Vojak (1-0) picked up the win to start, tossing 3.0 scoreless relief innings while striking out five before Brent Montgomery picked up his second save. In the finale, Andrew Najeeb-Brush (0-1) took the loss after allowing three runs in 4.2 innings despite eight strikeouts.

The Urban Knights are back in action at Laney College this Tuesday, Feb. 14 when they host Sonoma State for a single game starting at 6 p.m.