ALAMEDA, Calif. – A pair of Academy of Art baseball home runs highlighted a twinbill against Azusa Pacific on Friday, but it was the Cougars who would come away with the doubleheader sweep by limiting the ART U bats in each of the first two contests of a four-game series by finals of 8-1 and 5-1. 

Though the Urban Knights (6-16, 2-8 PacWest) totaled 13 hits on the day, they could only produce a pair of runs on the dingers from graduate student outfielder Travis Turney and graduate student catcher Ryan Gamboa, Both would come after large innings from the Cougars (8-10, 3-3 PacWest), using a six-run eighth inning in game one before scoring four times in the third frame of game two en route to taking the first two games of the series. 

While taking the loss in game one, ART U starting right-hander Collin Carriger was dazzling through the first six innings of his start, holding APU scoreless through the first six innings before allowing one in the seventh and the beginning of the big six-run frame. 

GAME ONE – APU 8, ART U 1
It was a true pitcher's duel through the first six innings, as both starters would run into the occasional problem in the early innings with runners aboard, but neither would break their scoreless streak. That was, until the seventh inning when a two-out double from APU's Aaron Roose doubled home his teammate George Chistinson, who had reached via the single earlier in the frame. 

The  one-time West Region Pitcher of the Week on Mar. 1, Carriger would run into another jam in the top of the eighth, one that he would not escape from. A one-out walk would precede a two-run homer from Omar Lopez, and after a two-out double, Carriger would exit the ballgame. The Azusa Pacific rally would continue after the change in pitchers, as a second home run in the inning would be launched by Roose to push the lead to 7-0. 

A double set the table for APU in the top of the ninth, receiving a double from Casey O'Laughlin before he ultimately came around to score on an RBI single from Lopez. However, ART U would breakup the shutout and get some revenge for the homer at the top half of the inning, with Turney launching his first big fly of the 2022 season However, that would be as close as the Knights would come, often times getting a man into scoring position to see him stranded on base. 

For Turney, it's homer No. 1 in his ART U career, but even the majestic blast wasn't enough to save a loss on the diamond. Carriger was stuck being the losing pitcher of record, who has logged a 2-4 record across six starts. Meanwhile, Turney picked up a pair of hits along with redshirt senior shortstop Dominic Ruggiero, as Turney was 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI thanks to the big fly, while Ruggiero was 2-for-3 .

GAME TWO – APU 5, ART U 1
The scoring started much quicker in the second game of the day, as Azusa Pacific struck for four unearned runs in the top fo the third thanks to a three-run double from Omar Lopez just before an RBI single by Casey O'Laughlin. 

Academy of Art would immediately respond with the homer from Gamboa, his second of the campaign, but that would be all that ART U would muster. Azusa Pacific would tack on another run of insurance for good measure in the top of the ninth, as Tyus Santa Anna lined an RBI single left center, putting the finishing touches on the day sweep. 

Though ART U freshman starter Brian Kraft would be tagged with the loss, he still delivered a season-high 7.0 innings with no earned runs allowed, no walks, and seven strikeouts. The duo of sophomore Dallen Turner and senior Ryan Skillman would combined to allow just one run on one hit. Earning the win was David Hays, his third of the year without a loss, while Declan Kearney notched his third save. 

Only junior middle infielder Adam Inouye would post a multi-hit game, going 2-for-5 from the leadoff spot in the order, while four other Knights would tally a single hit. 

The series will conclude tomorrow with games three and four from Laney College beginning at 1 and 4 p.m.