Box Score

Oakland, CA - The Urban Knights came back from Riverside with a chip on their shoulder, and when the Lancers came into Laney College to open up a four-game set, the Knights were looking to rebound. But the Lancers continued their offensive onslaught, putting together a nine-run fifth to sink the Knights 18-3.

Academy of Art sent junior transfer Ryan Donahoe to the mound, and he gave the Knights a strong outing, striking out four in two innings of work. Donahoe walked Matt Johnson to lead off the game, but struck out Luke Esquerra looking. Matt Marnati then doubled over Bryce Hutchings in center to score Johnson from first, but Donahoe rebounded again to strike out Lancers leading hitter Kevin Odom. Matt Daugherty grounded out to end the first.

The Knights were unable to score in the bottom of the first, but after Donahoe had a strong second, striking out two in a one-two-three inning, the Urban Knights came alive. Kenny Rollins, Jr. worked a walk, and after there were two outs, Stefen Henderson launched a ball off the wall next to the 400-foot sign in center field for an RBI triple to tie it up at 1-1 after two innings.

Donahoe was lifted for southpaw Yoshi Uemura, who had trouble finding the plate, walking the only three batters he faced. Guinn went to the bullpen again, bringing in senior Kallen Fletcher with the bases loaded and nobody out. Fletcher also had trouble with the strike zone, hitting the first batter he faced to knock in a run, and walking Blair Moore after that. Matt Daugherty flied out to right, but then Zach Esquerra cleared the bases with a triple off the wall in left field to give the Lancers a five-run lead.

The Knights struck back again in the bottom of the inning, however, adding another run in the bottom of the third. Johnathan Robbins was out trying to bunt his way on, but Zach Babitt continued to hit for the Urban Knights, rapping a hard single up the middle. Myles Babitt the grounded to second, but Kevin Odom threw the ball into left field for CBU, putting runners at the corners with one out. Niko Leite then put the safety squeeze on, getting Zach Babitt in and moving Myles to second, but Rollins grounded out to end the inning with the Knights down 6-2.

Cal Baptist kept on adding though, pushing three more across in the top of the fourth, and sending 12 batters to the plate in the fifth to go up big, 18-2. Leite got through the sixth inning uneventfully, and Myles Babitt escaped the seventh without giving up another out. In fact, after the nine-run outburst by the Lancers, the game settled down, with both teams throwing up zeroes after the fifth. The Knights added one more run in the bottom of the ninth, but the damage had already been done.

Zach Babitt was 2-3 with a run, and Niko Leite had two RBIs for the Knights. Myles Babitt, Henderson, and Bryce Hutchings all threw scoreless innings for the ART U. Both teams will face off again on Friday at Laney at 7:00 PM.