SAN FRANCISCO – Heading into Friday's doubleheader, Academy of Art looked to make amends for their loss the night before. The Urban Knights did just that with a walkoff win in extra innings of game two. Junior right-hander Luke Lacy's PacWest-leading fourth complete game of the season fueled the victory along with a pair of home runs from junior outfielders Evan Ray and Izac Bauer.
 
GAME ONE:
 
Despite outhitting the Cougars 10-9 in the first game of the twin bill, ART U fell subject to APU's timely hitting, dropping the contest by a score of 8-1.
 
With three runs in the top of the second, APU quickly jumped ahead 3-0. However, the Knights quickly responded as junior outfielder Taylor Martin and senior outfielder Cameron Jones traded a pair of doubles to make it a 3-1 ballgame.
 
Despite allowing a run to score in the third, senior righty Brett Bovee, making his eighth start of the season, did not allow a hit throughout the third and fourth innings and only allowed just one other earned run during the rest of his outing. Bovee completed eight innings which marks the sixth time this season he has at least reached the seventh frame. Otherwise, the Las Vegas native surrendered eight runs (five earned) including nine hits (a season-high) and two walks.
 
A trio of ART U players registered two hits in game one, including: Ray, Martin (two doubles), and junior infielder Michael Maleski.
 
GAME TWO:
 
As the leadoff batter in game two, Ray set the tone early. The Rodeo, Calif. native sent the third pitch he saw over the left field wall to give ART U their first lead of the series by way of a 1-0 score.
 
The Cougars' Staudinger hit his first of two home runs in the top of the second in response to Ray which knotted the score at 1-1. A wild pitch in the following frame gave APU a 2-1 lead.
 
The display of power continued however, when Bauer hit a two-run shot to left field. His fourth inning homer was his second of the season and it propelled the Urban Knights back into the lead by a score of 3-2.
 
Lacy, who had only allowed two hits to that point, shut down APU in the fifth and sixth innings. The righty allowed just one base runner during that time and did not surrender a hit.
 
ART U then took a one-run lead into the seventh and needed just three outs to seal the deal. However, Staudinger hit the contest's fourth home run to tie the game at three runs apiece. Unable to score in the bottom of the frame, Academy of Art headed into extra innings.
 
Lacy returned to the mound for the top of the eighth and did not skip a beat, needing just 11 pitches to set down the side in order. With a renewed sense of energy, the Urban Knights headed to the plate in the bottom of the inning for the final time. Swinging at the first pitch, Maleski led off the frame with a single down the left field line. Senior infielder Erick Luna followed suit two pitches later, this time lacing the ball to the feet of the right fielder. Now with runners on first and second, sophomore outfielder Taj Dawson stepped up to the plate looking to bunt both runners over. After his first attempt was fouled back, his second effort was placed perfectly in front of the pitcher who's throw to third was too late to catch Maleski on the force play. After a flyout to center which was too shallow to score the runner, Martin stepped up to the plate. However, the Napa, Calif. native needed only to make way for an errant curveball that bounced away from the catcher and allowed Maleski to score the winning run from third.
 
The win was ART U's 13th overall this season and ninth in conference. The Urban Knights are now just two wins away from tying their highest single-season wins total (15) and one shy from their highest amount of conference wins (10). Both records were achieved in 2016.
 
With another nine-hit performance in game two, the Knights outhit the Cougars for the second-consecutive game. Bauer collected three of those hits with two runs batted in, Luna went 2-for-4, and Ray's 1-for-4 performance included his first home run in an ART U uniform. Lacy was also dominant, allowing just four hits over his 8.0 innings of work and allowed three earned runs while striking out five and walking one.
 
Academy of Art will look to earn the split when they play their series finale with No. 9 Azusa Pacific on Saturday at noon.