Box Score

HAYWARD, Calif. — The Academy of Art University baseball team showed fight until the end Friday, but a go-ahead RBI double in the bottom of the eighth and a three-strikeout ninth by the Cal State East Bay closer gave the Pioneers a 3-2 win in game one of a four-game series at Pioneer Field.
 
Back and forth the teams went in the late innings, scoring runs in three straight frames from the bottom of the seventh to the bottom of the eighth. CSUEB (1-0) had just witnessed ART U (0-3) tie the game at 2-2 in the top half of the eighth when senior catcher Chucky Cavestany scored from second on a one-out RBI single by senior first baseman Daniel Skinner. That run was in response to the Pioneers going ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out, two-run home run from Chris Porter.
 
Cal State East Bay's winning run came in the form of small ball. Devin Higgins was hit by a pitch from Academy of Art freshman reliever Kevin Herron to lead off the bottom of the eighth. He moved to second on a balk and was sacrificed over to third by Kelly Starnes. That's when CSUEB's Jason Fletcher hit a one-out RBI double to left field, scoring Higgins and giving the Pioneers the lead for good.
 
Junior second baseman Cody Edmunds led the Urban Knights with a 2-for-3 day from the ninth spot in the order. Skinner was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. Cavestany finished 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored. ART U outhit Cal State East Bay 6-3, but the Knights struck out 11 times to the Pioneers' one (Porter).
 
Michael Frantz pitched the ninth inning and recorded three strikeouts, two swinging, to earn the save. Junior center fielder Joseph Marchini gave the Urban Knights hope in the ninth by reaching base with one out via an error, but he would be stranded after sophomore right fielder Daniel Gutierrez and junior shortstop Tyler Strawn both struck out swinging to end the game. Academy of Art stranded 10 runners in the game and hit into two double plays.
 
Senior starting pitcher Maclane Brady (0-1) only allowed two hits and two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings, but he walked four and hit two batters. Cal State East Bay used five pitchers, with reliever Andrew Fernandez grabbing the win in 2/3 innings of work.
 
The series continues Saturday at Cal State East Bay's Pioneer Field with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.