ALAMEDA, Calif. – Four unanswered runs were the key for Academy of Art baseball in a non-conference clash with Holy Names, overcoming an early one-run deficit with a key three-run inning in the fifth to spur a 5-2 win over HNU on Wednesday.
Despite loading the bases with a trio of walks in the first, all three runners were left stranded and the Urban Knights (4-7) didn't get on the scoreboard until the top of the second. When they did it was in big fashion, as sophomore second baseman
Chris Fung unloaded on a pitch for a two-out solo homer over the right field fence. Academy of Art again threatened in the third with two runners on and one in scoring position, but a flyout and strikeout ended the inning.
The lead was short lived as the Hawks (7-4) were finally able to string some offense together in the third, opening the frame with a single before later scoring after a passed ball and an error. Just as it looked the Knights could make it out of the inning, a two-out double through the right side pushed the go-ahead run home for a 2-1 HNU edge. Matching the tempo, Academy of Art was able to draw level in the next half inning as the Knights also took advantage of an error and passed ball to once again tie the game.
An HNU double with two outs provided little threat in the bottom of the fourth before both teams went quickly in the fifth, then ART U broke the game back open with a three-run fifth inning that would prove to be the game's difference. Fung opened the inning when he was hit by a pitch before moving into scoring position with one out after a infield single from freshman shortstop
Gabe Henderson. With a pair on, graduate student
Travis Turney reached on a catcher's interference with both runners advancing to load the bases.
Up at the right time was graduate student outfielder
Landon Levine, as the ART U leader for runs driven in added to his total with his 15th and 16th RBI of the season on a hard-lined double into the right center gap. A pitching change for Holy Names seemed to do the trick after an initial strikeout, but another passed ball allowed an ART U run to score and build the 5-2 cushion.
Both sides were retired with ease in the seventh before stranding a runner in scoring position in the eighth, setting up a showdown in the ninth that began with Academy of Art going down in order to start the final frame. Needing to rally and facing a newly-entered ART U pitcher, a pair of HNU singles and a walk loaded the bases with only one out, forcing the Urban Knights to turn to the bullpen. Called upon was junior righty
Fernando Dueñas, who got the final two batters in order including a punchout swinging to end the game, preserving the 5-2 win and capturing the first ART U save of the season.
Picking up the win for Academy of Art was sophomore right-hander
Dwyer Lewis, who provided a pair of scoreless innings in the middle of the contest with only two hits allowed, his first ART U win of his career to improve to 1-3. Meanwhile, Ryu Umeda was tagged with the loss as he allowed four runs (only two earned) on three hits, though he did strikeout five.
Academy of Art was efficient as they scored their five runs on exactly five hits, with only the two going for extra bases, though they were crucial in the Fung homer and Levine two-RBI double. All five hits came from different Knights, as the top third of the lineup all had one base knock and scored a run (Henderson, Turney, Levine) while both Fung and senior outfielder
Hayato Niki were 1-for-3, though Fung also scored twice with an RBI. For Levine, he extends his ART U best hitting streak to nine games while having reached base safely in all 11, and has now tallied an RBI in all but one game he's played in (10 games). Meanwhile, Niki is hot on Levine's tails with a seven-game hitting streak of his own.
In just two days ART U returns to the diamond, as the Urban Knights will face off with the Oaks of Menlo in a four-game series beginning on Friday that will see the first and last contest played at home with the middle games played as a doubleheader on the road.
