IRVINE, Calif. – Looking to close out the final day of the regular season on a strong note, Academy of Art baseball was engaged in a pair of tough battles with Concordia that were both within a couple of runs midway through each game. Unfortunately, CUI pitching would hold off the ART U bats down the stretch, as Concordia would win both parts of the twin bill by finals of 6-3 in game one and 4-0 in the shortened second game (seven innings).

Despite a total of 13 hits on the day, the Urban Knights (15-17) could not find the timely hit to complete the come-from-behind effort against the Eagles (18-14) in the final tune up before the Pacific West Conference AQ Series. While ART U was able to cut game one down to a one-run game late, CUI would immediately respond to build another cushion and cruise to the win. Pitching would be tougher the second time out, as the Urban Knights were kept off the scoreboard through the seven frames.

All but one of ART U's hits came in the form of a single, leading graduate student outfielder Andrew Shebloski, graduate student catcher Ryan Gamboa, and junior designated hitter Noah Daubin to collect base knocks in both games at the dish. Shebloski would end his day with a trio of hits by going 3-for-8 with a run scored, while Gamboa chipped in a pair of hits and a walk in five at-bats. Both ART U starting pitchers would be tagged with the loss despite lasting six innings in both outings, with both allowing four earned runs on at least six hits. 

GAME ONE – CUI 6, ART U 3
Concordia started the scoring in the home half of the first with a back-to-back home runs, jumping out to the early 3-0 lead. Two innings later is when the response would come from the Urban Knights, as Shebloski would set the table after he singled into center with one out. An error would put another runner aboard and move both into scoring position, where junior outfielder Ty Conrad would cash in his 30th RBI of the season to cut the deficit to 3-1. 

The lead was back to three in the bottom of the sixth when the Eagles took advantage of a pair of two-out walks with an RBI single, but again the Urban Knight response would come quickly. Four consecutive hits opened the seventh frame for ART U, started by a single through the left side by sophomore third baseman Adam Inouye and a bunt single by sophomore outfielder Hayato Niki. A diving stop by the CUI second baseman would keep a single from Shebloski in the infield, and also keep a run from scoring on the play. However, redshirt junior shortstop Dominic Ruggiero would come through with the bases loaded, driving a ball into left center that would score both Inouye and Niki and cut the Eagles lead to just 4-3. 

Returning the favor with a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the frame was Concordia, as a pair of hits and a hit by pitch would put three aboard with no outs. A wild pitch would allow all runners to move up a base, scoring a run on the play, and a sacrifice fly from the subsequent batter would be the final run of the game as the Eagles locked down the 6-3 victory. 

Shebloski and Ruggiero each totaled a pair hits in five at-bats from the top of the lineup, with Ruggiero driving in a pair of runs while Shebloski scored a run. Nearly matching their production from the bottom third of the batting order was Inouye and Niki, as they each scored while collecting a hit in four tries. After his starting pitching performance, Daubin would slide from the mound to the lineup and get a hit in his only appearance at the plate in game one.

GAME TWO – CUI 4, ART U 0 (7 INNINGS)
Both starting pitchers were cruising through their outings early on, as ART U junior righty Collin Carriger scattered just two hits through the first three frames. Carriger first ran into trouble in the fourth, as a leadoff hit would set the table for a subsequent home run to straight away center field, putting the Eagles up 2-0.

While Carriger would start the home half of the fifth with a strikeout, Concordia would continue to add to their lead after Matt Lautz reached on a bunt single. It would take only one batter drive him in, as Lautz scored from first on a ball hit deep into the outfield by Jair Donovan. A groundout would move Donovan over to third base, and a passed ball would make him the final run of the game. Despite the Knights putting runners on base in both the sixth and seventh innings, they could not string together a rally to overcome the Eagles.

Earning the only extra-base hit of the day in game two was graduate student second baseman Justin Summers, ending the contest 1-for-3 with a double. Three other Urban Knights would end with hits in Shebloski, Daubin and Gamboa, with the first two going 1-for-3 while Gamboa was 1-for-1 with a free pass. 

The PacWest AQ Series will begin on Thursday, May 20 beginning at noon when they take on SoCal pod champion Azusa Pacific.