OAKLAND, Calif. – Neither rain nor the Cal State Easy Bay Pioneers would spoil Academy of Art Baseball's Opening Day festivities. After finding themselves trailing on two separate occasions, the Urban Knights came back both times to seal a 4-2 victory in their 2017 season opener.
 
Starting in his second-consecutive opening day for ART U, senior right-handed pitcher Brett Bovee breezed through the first inning before giving up a leadoff single in the second. Despite allowing two more hits in the frame, the Urban Knights managed to escape the inning allowing just one run while leaving two on base.
 
Academy of Art managed to respond in the bottom of the fourth after junior outfielder Jackson Murphy reached on an error to open the inning. After junior infielder Taylor Martin followed with a single to left field, Murphy was moved to third a pair of batters later. He was then brought home on a sacrifice fly to left field by sophomore infielder Robert "Gio" Villanueva, tying the game at one run apiece.
 
Despite the Pioneers responding with another run in the top of the sixth, ART U wasted no time in returning the favor. In the bottom of the inning, Academy of Art loaded the bases with no outs which chased East Bay's second pitcher from the game. Just moments later, Murphy was able to score the tying run for the second time when a wild pitch allowed him to cross the plate. Two batters later, Villanueva came through with his second sacrifice fly of the afternoon, plating Martin and giving ART U a 3-2 lead. The Urban Knights scored once more in eighth inning, extending their lead to 4-2 and clearing the way for junior right-hander Luke Lacy to shut the door in the ninth. It was his first save in an ART U uniform.
 
Both Martin and junior outfielder Izac Bauer came away with two hits on Thursday while Villanueva drove in the Knights' only two runs batted in. Bovee's impressive performance on the mound won him the decision. The Las Vegas native tossed 7.0 innings while only allowing two earned runs, six hits, and struck out four and did not allow a walk. In fact, ART U's three pitchers did not allow a single base on balls in the contest.
 
The Urban Knights will host game two of the series on Friday, February 3 at 6:00 p.m.