Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Oakland, CA -- In the doubleheader that marked the series finale for  the Academy of Art University baseball team, their offense stayed hot, as they racked up eight hits in each of the seven-inning contests. But the California Baptist team stayed one step ahead of the Urban Knights the whole way, sweeping the day from the Knights by scores of 8-5 and 8-2.

In the opener, Wade Broadstreet made his second start of the spring. The Lancers hit back to back singles with one out, and then the Knights had a miscommunication on a steal attempt, allowing a run to score and another runner to advance to third. Zach Esquerra then grounded out to drive him in, and the Lancers had a 2-0 lead after half an inning.

But the Urban Knights bounced right back against Caleb Dirks. Tino Leite singled to right center to start the game, and promptly stole second and third during the next at bat. Myles Babitt hit a slicing double down the left field line, and then he scored on a pair of passed balls, and the game was knotted up at 2-2.

California Baptist added a run in the second on another RBI groundout, this time by Luke Esquerra, and then another in the fourth on a pair of doubles. The first was a leadoff double from Antonio Chavarria, while the second came two outs later when Ryan Cathers doubled down the right field line to make it a 4-2 ballgame.

Yet again the Knights came up swinging in the next inning, starting when Lyle "Kalani" Brackenridge reached on an error. He went to second on a wild pitch, and Babitt walked to put two runners on with one out. The Lancers went to the bullpen, and Stefen Henderson welcomed Michael Davis to the game by doubling in Brackenridge. The Urban Knights then took the lead when Kevin Decker singled up the middle, with Babitt and Henderson scoring on the play, and ART U led 5-4.

The lead didn't last long, however, as CBU got a sacrifice fly to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth. Broadstreet had Luke Esquerra in a two-strike count, but then the big left-fielder hit a home run deep to left and the Lancers had the lead again. Ryan Donahoe came in to pitch, but at the end of the inning the Lancers had scored four runs and were back in front 8-5 in what proved to be the final score.

Leite had a pair of hits, while Babitt was 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Ryan Ramirez and Dante Redhead each had a walk and a hit on the day. Broadstreet ended up going 5.2 innings and gave up six runs, only four earned. Davis picked up the win for California Baptist, while Cathers (3-5), Matt Marnati (2-5), and Zach Esquerra (2-4, 3RBI) each had multi-hit games for the Lancers.




Nick Boyett got the call in the second game, and both teams trotted out virtually the same lineups. Boyett got through the first inning without a hitch, and the Knights got a rally going in the bottom half with their first two batters reaching base. After a fielders choice nailed Leite at third, Henderson grounded into another fielders choice from short to second, but third base coach Bip Roberts saw an opportunity, sending Brackenridge while the middle infielders were occupied. The gamble did not pay off, however, as Brackenridge's slide was a little too late, and the Lancers escaped the jam.

Boyett used a double play and a runners interference call to wriggle out of a situation of his own in the top of the second. Zach Esquerra had singled and Blair Moore walked, but the twin killing by Matt Daugherty had extra weight because Moore was said to have interfered with the fielders at second base. The Knights went down in order to keep it scoreless heading to the third inning.

The Lancers got on the board first in the third inning, when Johnathan Davis tripled down the right field line on a ball that was right out of Stefen Henderson's reach. Luke Esquerra singled to score him, but Boyett limited the damage there and kept it at only a run difference. The Knights responded in their half, when Leite doubled to left center and later scored on an infield single by Brackenridge and an error on the shortstop.

California Baptist retook the lead on the first batter in the fourth, when Zach Esquerra matched his brother Luke from the first game with a homer to left. Boyett again limited the damage, and it was still only 2-1. And again, in their half, Academy of Art responded. Henderson walked, stole second, and stole third, scoring on a sacrifice fly from Ramirez to knot it up again at 2-2.

In the fifth the Lancers took the lead one more time, and this time didn't look back. Luke Esquerra hit his second home run of the day, this time a two-run shot to make it 4-2. The Knights looked poised to make another stand, but after three hits and a double play, they came up empty. The Lancers added one more in the sixth against Yoshi Uemura and three more in the seventh to get to the final score of 8-2.

Leite had his second multi-hit game of the day, going 3-for-4 with a run scored. Brackenridge also had two hits, but the Knights left seven on base.

Academy of Art will be back in action on Friday, technically playing "on the road" against Holy Names University, who also call Laney College their home field. The pair of doubleheaders (March 15-16) will be away games for the Knights.