ALAMEDA, Calif. – Timely hitting, effective pitching, and some big-time performances were only a small fraction of what transpired at College of Alameda on Saturday afternoon. In game one, the Urban Knights plated nine runs to record their first victory. However, a late-inning comeback in an epic back-and-forth battle in game two gave Central Washington the final contest as well as the series victory.
 
GAME ONE: ART U 9, CWU 2
 
In game one, senior lefty Alex Fernandez came out dealing in his first start of the season. Despite giving up a single in the first inning, Fernandez escaped the frame with only five pitches and finished the first two innings with just 17 pitches while recording three strikeouts. The Napa, Calif. native cruised through the next five innings (7.0 in total) while only allowing two earned runs and compiling six punchouts.
 
The Urban Knights gave Fernandez plenty of support, scoring runs in the second and fourth innings which included an opposite-field home run for senior outfielder Evan Ray. Ray's homer is both his and his team's first of the young season.

 
After CWU plated a run in the top of the sixth, ART U responded in a big way in the seventh, putting seven runs on the board to take a dominant, 7-run lead. The frame saw 11 Urban Knights at-bats which included a pair of clutch hits from junior catcher Zak May and senior outfielder Jackson Murphy with the bases loaded, May stroked a single up the middle which the center fielder allowed to roll by. As a result, May sprinted around third and headed home after receiving the green light from coach Matt Kavanaugh at third. After sliding headfirst into the plate, he ran to the dugout where was met with handshakes and high-fives all around. Later in the same inning, Murphy delivered the second big hit of the frame, lacing a bases-loaded double to right field which cleared the bases and delivered the Chico, Calif native three runs batted in. When it was all said and done, ART U put seven runs across in the inning and it propelled them to a 9-2 win, their first of the 2018 season.
 
GAME TWO: CWU 13, ART U 10 (9IN)
 
The final game of the series and the second of Saturday's doubleheader was a slugfest as both sides combined for 27 hits and 23 runs. Furthermore, the contest saw the lead change hands five different times as well as two frames of extra innings.
 
After Central Washington took the lead in the second, the Urban Knights responded with two runs in both the second and third innings to take a 4-1 lead. However, over the next three frames, the Wildcats plated seven runs, regaining the lead by the score of 8-4.
 
In the bottom of the sixth of the scheduled 7-inning contest, ART U roared from behind with six runs off of our hits. Two of the hits came off the bat of freshman outfielder Noah Daubin who was playing in his first collegiate start. Daubin both doubled and singled in the frame and recorded a run batted in his second appearance. His two hits capped off a 3-for-4 day which included three RBI and a pair of doubles. The Urban Knights' big inning put ART U back out in front by the score of 10-8.
 
In the following inning, CWU managed to load the bases with no outs and eventually scored two runs to tie the game and force extra innings. 
 
ART U shut down the Wildcats in the eighth, but Central Washington did not stay quiet for long, plating three more runs in the top of the ninth. Academy of Art did their best to respond in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with two outs. Making a pinch-hit appearance, junior infielder Robert "Gio" Villanueva stepped up to the plate, representing the winning run. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. native faced a total of nine pitches before eventually sending a soaring fly ball into center field to end the game.
 
Daubin's three hits led the Urban Knights, but three other Urban Knights recorded multiple base knocks including: seniors Taylor Martin, Marciano Reichel, and Brennan Mauchline.
 
Now, with a record of 1-3, and with their first series of 2018 having come to a close, ART U will set their sights on SF State who they will play in a one-game series on Tuesday, February 13 at 2:00 p.m.