OAKLAND, Calif. — Another solid starting performance on the mound and clutch hitting helped earn the Academy of Art University baseball team a Pacific West Conference doubleheader split Friday versus California Baptist, winning the nightcap 3-1 after dropping the opener 7-2. 
Senior starting pitcher Maclane Brady (2-3) went 6 2/3 innings in Friday's second game, allowing just one run in the first inning and scattering four hits while striking out five for his second victory of the year. The Urban Knights (5-14, 3-4 PacWest) scored two clutch runs in their final turn at bat in bottom of the sixth to go ahead before closing out the Lancers (9-12, 1-2 PacWest) in the top of the seventh.
 
Junior center fielder Joseph Marchini scored runs and had hits in both games to extend his hitting streak to six games. California Baptist had its chances in both contests. The Lancers stranded 20 total runners Friday – 10 each in games one and two – including 16 in scoring position.
 
GAME ONE
 
Miscues told the story of the opener, as ART U tied the game on an error and California Baptist broke a 2-2 tie with five unanswered unearned runs across the sixth and eighth innings. But the game was still close and competitive through the first seven frames.
 
The Lancers broke a scoreless tie in the third with a leadoff home run from Andy Crowley. CBU would then load the bases before Nathan Antoun brought home their second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly, giving the Lancers a 2-0 lead.
 
ART U answered right back with a two-out, two-run rally in the bottom half. After a strikeout and groundout started the Urban Knights' inning, Marchini singled to center and junior left fielder Greg Ivory brought him home with a long double on a 2-2 count to left field, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The Knights got a bit of help to tie the game, as Ivory advance to third on a passed ball and senior catcher James Singzon reached on a fielding error by CBU shortstop Jake Gallaway, allowing Ivory to score and tie the game.
 
Sophomore pitcher Alexander Kuisel retired six of the next seven batters he faced, but CBU would pull away in the sixth with two unearned runs after starting the inning with an infield single. Only one ball left the infield in the California Baptist sixth, and that was a sacrifice fly by Crowley that made it 4-2.
 
The Lancers pushed their lead to five runs in the eighth with three more unearned runs. Luke Navigato began the inning by reaching on an error. After two outs were recorded, three straight Lancers reached base, including RBI singles from Crowley and catcher Stephen Lohr. Kuisel (0-1) posted a line of six innings pitched and four runs surrendered (two earned) on six hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
 
Crowley finished game one 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base. Navigato was also 3-for-4 in the game with two runs scored. Three different Knights had a base hit in the opener, led by Ivory with a double, RBI and run scored.
 
GAME TWO
 

Jacob Green strikes out the final batter to earn the save after Maclane Brady goes 6.2 innings while allowing just a single run! @ARTUBaseball wins 3-1! PacWestBASE ArtSchool #HardNose A video posted by Be Artist. Be Athlete. (@artu_knights) on Mar 13, 2015 at 9:18pm PDT

Brady worked magic in the nightcap, dancing around eight free passes (seven walks, one hit-by-pitch) and stranding seven runners of his own in scoring position to earn the victory. Junior relief pitcher Jacob Green entered in the seventh with two outs and two runners on and struck out Antoun swinging to earn the save and clinch the victory.
 
California Baptist took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning after loading the bases with one out and getting a run on a wild pitch. Brady would recover though, getting the next two outs on a strikeout and infield popup to strand two runners in scoring position and keep the damage at one run.
 
Academy of Art tied the game an inning later in the same fashion when junior shortstop Tyler Strawn dashed home on a wild pitch with two outs. He previously had advanced to third on a wild pitch as well, but the go-ahead run was left stranded at third base after a strikeout ended the inning.
 
Back and forth Brady and CBU starting pitcher Jeremy McDonald battled, each escaping danger but not allowing the other team to score and keeping the game tied at 1-1. McDonald retired eight straight from the third to the fifth, but a leadoff single by Marchini in the sixth would spell his doom.
 
Ivory sacrificed Marchini to second, giving the Knights the go-ahead run in scoring position with one out. Singzon then earned a walk after fighting back from being down 1-2 in the count to put runners on first and second. That's when senior catcher Chucky Cavestany hit a two-strike Texas leaguer over the head of Navigato at second base to score Marchini and put Singzon at third. Singzon then scored on the next at-bat when Strawn hit into a potential double play, but Navigato dropped the ball at second base, allowing everyone to reach safely and giving the Urban Knights a 3-1 advantage.
 
Brady's five strikeouts tied a season high. It was his fifth outing allowing two or less earned runs and the fourth in which he went at least five innings.
 
The series concludes at noon Saturday with a single game at Cañada College in Redwood City, Calif.