FRESNO, Calif. – Seven players collected hits and junior starting pitcher Cannon Secrist turned in a quality start, but the Academy of Art baseball team couldn't come away with the win on the road, dropping the first of a four-game series to Fresno Pacific 2-0.
 
Pitching was cruising early, as both teams were kept off the scoreboard through the first four innings. Secrist tallied three strikeouts over that stretch for the Urban Knights (4-9), and limited the Sunbirds (8-7) to just two hits. The bottom of the fifth was when FPU would finally get runners across the plate, opening the inning with three straight hits, including two doubles, to produce two runs.
 
Fresno Pacific starter Nic Boatman would last 6.2 innings while giving up six hits with seven strikeouts before giving way to the bullpen. Tyler Rumbaugh tossed 1.2 innings and allowed two hits, followed by Michael Barker collecting his second save of the year with a scoreless ninth. Boatman would be credited with the win, his first of the season.
 
While ART U collected 10 base knocks, they could not produce any runs as they left nine runners on base. Seniors Jayson Summers and Fabian Barcena, and junior Noah Dabuin all collected two hits, while four others all had one base hit. Among them was senior third baseman Thomas Delgadillo, who furthered his reached base streak to 31 games dating back to last season, having reached in all 13 games in 2020.
 
Secrist would have a final line of two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and one walk, as he was tagged with the loss to fall to 1-2 on the year.
 
Games two and three of the series will take place tomorrow at FPU Diamond in Fresno, Calif. beginning at 2 & 5:30 p.m.