Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

Phoenix, AZ -- The Urban Knights baseball team continued to improve on the offensive side of the ball, but their pitching didn't match the offensive effort as a wild first inning put ART U in a hole that they just couldn't get out of against PacWest foe Grand Canyon in the first game which went GCU's way 10-3. Game two was a pitcher's duel, but the Lopes came out on top in the nightcap as well, winning a close one 1-0.

The opener started off dubiously for the Knights, as starter Kallen Fletcher walked four and hit one to start the game. Head coach Brian Guinn went to Spencer Roland out of the bullpen, who came in and walked another before giving up a couple hits, and the Knights went into the top of the second down 6-0.

But the visitors rallied right back in the top of the second inning, as Stefen Henderson started off the inning with a single. He promptly stole second, and Wade Broadstreet singled him in to get the Knights on the board. Niko Leite singled to center, and then Johnathan Robbins reached on a fielder's choice, with Leite forced out at second. Robbins stole second, and then Hutchings walked to load the bases. Myles Babitt grounded out, but it was enough to get Broadstreet in. Zach Babitt grounded out, but the Knights were on the board, cutting it to a 6-2 lead.

But Grand Canyon answered with two more of their own in the bottom of the second. The middle innings went quickly, until the Lopes scored a run in the bottom of the fifth. The Knights answered with a run in the top of the seventh when Bryce Hutchings walked, stole second, and scored on an error, but Grand Canyon answered again in the bottom of the inning to make it 9-3. That ended up being the final score as Sam Moore struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to close it out for ART U.

Jared DePatto was 2-for-5 for Academy of Art, and Broadstreet was 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Henderson was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored and also threw two scoreless innings to close it out for the Urban Knights.


The nightcap was a pitchers duel from the outset. Myles Babitt singled in the top of the first, advancing on an error and then getting to third on a wild pitch, but he was left stranded ninety feet from home when Henderson grounded out. The Knights had another great chance in the third inning, as Robbins beat out an infield single. He was thrown out at second trying to steal in what proved to be a huge play in the inning, as the Knights got a single and a double after that, loading the bases before Michael Reyes struck out to end the threat.

The Lopes got the lone run of the game in the fourth inning, when Derek Mendoza singled to left. Charles Wagner sacrificed him to second, and then later in the inning with the bases loaded, starter Nate Gercken threw a wild pitch that allowed Wagner to score. That one run proved to be the difference, as neither team scored for the rest of the game. The Urban Knights got a runner in scoring position in the top of the seventh, but Jorge Perez closed it down for GCU to earn his first win of the season.

Gercken went six strong for the Urban Knights, only allowing four hits and striking out three. Myles Babitt was 2-for-3, while Henderson drew his team-leading 15th walk of the season in game two. Perez had seven strikeouts for Grand Canyon. The two teams will play another doubleheader tomorrow, starting at 11:30 Mountain Time (10:30 Pacific Time).