Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

Hilo, HI -- The Academy of Art baseball team took all of their frustration from the first three games of the series and put it into the last game against Hawaii Hilo, scoring four runs in the top of the seventh and winning the finale by a score of 6-2 following a loss in the first game. Wade Broadstreet picked up a tough-luck loss after one bad inning in the opener, but three pitchers combined to hold down the Hilo bats in the second game for the win.

In the first game, Broadstreet threw six stellar innings. Unfortunately, there was also one inning in there that he wished he had back. The sophomore tied a program record for the second time this year by striking out nine Vulcans, but Hilo strung together fives singles and a sac fly in the sixth inning to take a 3-0 lead. That was the only inning that Hilo got anything against Broadstreet, who had five 1-2-3 innings, including his first and his last. In both of those innings he also struck out two of the three batters he faced. 

The Knights were held off the board for the first game, and again were plagued by missed opportunities. They amassed six hits, and had probably their best chance in the sixth inning, when Myles Babitt singled to lead off the inning. He then stole a base, and with two outs, Kenny Rollins, Jr. singled to left field. But left-fielder Jordan Murai had a strong throw and despite his best efforts at a fadeaway slide, Babitt was nailed at the plate.

ART U had another rally going in the ninth inning, with the score 4-0 after a walk by new pitcher Stefen Henderson came around to score on a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth. Niko Leite reached on a strikeout that went to the backstop, and Stefen Henderson followed with a walk. Both runnners advanced on a wild pitch, but Rollins struck out. Chris Holmes drew a walk to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate, but Michael Reyes struck out and pinch-hitter Jared DePatto's fly ball just wasn't deep enough in the spacious Wong Stadium outfield, and the Vulcans took the opener.


The second game on Tuesday started off much like the second game on Monday, as head coach Brian Guinn turned to Myles Babitt on the mound. Babitt started the game wild, allowing two runs on three walks, a hit by pitch, and a single. But he ended the inning with two strikeouts and settled down. The Knights got one back in the second after Bryce Hutchings singled and stole a base. Stefen Henderson followed that up with a single up the middle, and Hutchings came all the way around to make it a one-run ballgame.

Babitt settled in, retiring six of the next seven batters and ending the fourth inning with two more strikeouts. The game went to the fifth, when the defense and speed really started to make a difference for ART U. The inning started off with freshman Devin Mason getting hit on an 0-2 pitch by Hilo starter Bryan Raines. He then stole second, and took third on a hard line drive back up the middle by Rollins that ricocheted off the pitcher but right to the second baseman. Zach Babitt grounded out to second with the infield in, so Mason was unable to advance. But Guinn has been aggressive with his speedsters all season, and with Myles Babitt batting, Mason took off for home, sliding in right as the ball was crossing the plate to tie the game at 2-2.

In the home half of the inning, Rollins returned the favor by robbing leadoff man Josh Murai, making a diving catch on a ball to his left. Babitt was still on the mound, but he walked Joshua Wong, prompting a straight-up pitching change with the centerfielder Hutchings. Hutchings allowed a single, but then got Riddle to hit a fly ball to center. Murai tagged from third, underestimating the arm of the pitcher-turned-outfielder in center, and Babitt's strong throw was punctuated by a nice tag by catcher Chris Holmes to nail him at the plate.

The score stayed the same until the seventh, when Zach Mexicano, the Knights starter from Monday's first game, got the nod to pinch-hit, scorching a first-pitch ground ball that was snagged by the second baseman. With one out, Henderson hit one to the warning track in left for a ground-rule double. Mason worked a walk, and then Rollins came through with a clutch RBI single to put the Knights up one. But the Knights weren't done, as Zach Babitt added an RBI double to left-center and Myles Babitt had a two-run single to make it a 6-2 ballgame.

Guinn then turned it over to Ryan Donahoe, who made things a little interesting by walking the leadoff batter on four pitches. He recovered a bit to the next hitter, but ended up plunking the next batter to put two runners on. Then Niko Leite came over to Donahoe on the mound for a little conference, and the junior closer proceeded to strike out the next three batters to finish off ART U's victory.

The Knights will have a travel day on Wednesday, and a day off Thursday before a four-game set with Hawaii Pacific on Friday and Saturday.