OAKLAND, Calif. – Academy of Art baseball received a brilliant pitching performance from senior right-hander Collin Carriger in the opening contest of a four-game set with nationally-ranked No. 23 Concordia on Saturday, as he struck out an ART U record 16 batters before the Knights were able to walk off as winners on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth by a 3-2 final. However, CUI would salvage a doubleheader split after they were able to break a pitchers' duel with a pair of three run innings in the final third of game two, 7-1. 

Game one's win marked the second walk-off victory in the previous three games (prior to the game two loss) for the Urban Knights (5-8, 1-1 PacWest), achieving their first of the year against Holy Names in game three of last series on Feb. 20. It also marked ART U's first victory over a ranked opponent in three years, last doing so on a walk-off double from current Assistant Coach Elijah Smith to take down No. 17 Point Loma 5-4 on Mar. 2, 2019. But the Eagles (7-4-1, 1-1 PacWest) would ensure no doubleheader sweep thanks to the bat of Michael Dixon, who was responsible for driving in five of CUI's final six runs, though the game was much closer through the early and middle innings. 

Two of ART U's outfielders would collect hits in both games, as graduate student Travis Turney extended his hitting streak to 10 games and was a combined 2-for-7 with two runs scored and a triple. Meanwhile, junior Hayato Niki ended 2-for-6 with a run scored and a double.

GAME ONE – ART U 3, NO. 23 CUI 2
Both pitchers had their stuff working from the jump, with Carriger especially dangerous by carving up 10 batters of the course of the first four innings, seven of those would come in consecutive fashion to end the second inning before punching out the side in order during the third and fourth frames. Despite that, CUI would strike for a run in the second after Dixon hit a leadoff triple to right center field, and would subsequently score on a sacrifice fly from Nathan Benefeito for the game's first run. 

Meanwhile, Concordia starter Evan Larsen had a perfect game going through the fifth, which was ultimately broken up on a leadoff double into the right-center gap in the sixth from Niki. Not only would Larsen lose the perfect, he would lose the shutout after the Knights used small ball to push Niki to third before ultimately scoring on an RBI groundout from junior second baseman Adam Inouye to knot the game at 1-1. 

Carriger would log yet another shutdown inning in the top of the seventh to keep the momentum on ART U's side, which included two more strikeouts to tie the ART U record of 14 in a game that he previously set against this same CUI team on April 30, 2021. When the Knights returned to the dugout they rewarded him with a lead thanks to a clutch two-out double from senior first baseman Vincent Lontz, crushing a ball over the head of the center fielder that would score Turney, who had reached earlier in the inning with a walk. 

The lead would last just a half inning, as the Eagles recreated the small-ball formula that ART U had used back in the sixth to generate a run of their own in the away half of the eighth and tie the game at 2-2. 

Undeterred was Carriger, who would return to the bump to work the top of the ninth after a quick bottom of the eighth and sit down another two batters, bringing his total to 16 strikeouts to officially break his previous ART U record. That would lead to the exciting finish in the bottom of the frame, as Turney would start it with a leadoff triple before ultimately scoring on a sacrifice fly from redshirt sophomore designated hitter Liam Rizzo, marking ART U's second win of the year in a one-run game. 

This was just the second time that Carriger tossed a full 9.0 innings, also doing so last season in his final start against Azusa Pacific on May 22, 2021. In tonight's effort, he would allow just two earned runs on three hits and one walk. Though Larsen would record a quality start by allowing two earned runs on two hits over 7.0 innings pitched for CUI, he would not factor into the decision. Taking the loss was Carpenter Pagett, facing both batters in the ninth and allowing one earned run in just 0.1 inning of work.  

ART U made the most of its three hits in the game, as two of the three would go for extra bases thanks to doubles by Lontz and Niki. Both would end the game 1-for-3, with Lontz driving in a run while Niki scored a run. Scoring the other two was Turney, also ending the game 1-for-3 with a walk. 

GAME TWO – CUI 7, ART U 1
Action started much the same as game one, with both pitchers finding their groove early, though each team did put one runner in scoring position in one of the first two innings. Both sides would find the scoreboard in the third starting with the Eagles, as Shane Wallace would double to start the third and eventually score on a Benefeito sacrifice fly. ART U's response would be swift, coming on one swing when junior outfielder Charles Morgan unloaded on a 2-1 pitch for a solo homer to straightaway left field, his team-leading fourth blast of the campaign. 

Both pitchers would continue to deal until Academy of Art right-handed senior Cannon Secrist ran into a jam in the seventh, as the inning started with two triples in the first three batters for a 2-1 CUI lead. A two-out walk would also be key in the inning as Dixon would follow with a key double into left center field, scoring two more runs for a 4-1 lead. Not satisfied, the Eagles would add another trio of runs in the top of the ninth, with Dixon adding three more RBI to his total on a home run to left. 

On the hook for the loss was Secrist, snapping his three-game winning streak after allowing four earned runs on six hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts, his second consecutive game with 10 punch outs. Going 7.2 innings for the Eagles was starter Riley O'Sullivan, who would log a quality start in a winning effort by allowing just one earned run on six hits with nine strikeouts. Meanwhile, Noah McBride cashed in his first save of the year with a perfect 1.1 innings pitched, striking out all four batters he faced. 

Both Morgan and redshirt senior shortstop Dominic Ruggiero collected two hits, as both were 2-for-4 but the difference being Morgan's home run. Notching the other two hits were Turney and Niki, but despite the home run from Morgan, none of ART U's other five hits were for extra bases. 

These two teams will meet again tomorrow, concluding this four game series from Laney College with a doubleheader beginning at 1 and 4 p.m.