LA MIRADA, Calif. – Saturday's Pacific West Conference twin bill against Biola saw Academy of Art baseball level with BU over midway through game one before taking an early lead in game two, but both times Biola was able to pull in front with big innings as they were able to defeat the Knights by finals of 9-3 and 12-2 (7 innings). 

Multiple extra-base hits and a manufactured run were key in the Urban Knights' (10-14, 3-7 PacWest) comeback to tie the first contest, including the first home run in an ART U jersey by senior outfielder Hayato Niki, but a pair of three-run innings in the sixth and eighth were the difference for the Eagles (10-17, 4-6 PacWest). Following up in the shortened second game, ART U jumped out to the lead thanks to a sacrifice fly in the top of the first, but another pair of innings contained nearly all the Biola runs as they scored 12 unanswered leading to the victory. 

GAME ONE – BU 9, ART U 3
After going down in order to start the game, the Urban Knights looked as if they were set to return the favor until Biola drew a two-out walk that preceded a double into center, putting a pair of runners in scoring position before scoring in the next at-bat on a two-RBI single. Later in the third after the Knights were unable to complete the two-out rally and left a pair stranded, the Eagles added on to their lead on a solo Oscar Serratos home run to left field. 

Academy of Art finally answered by scoring once in each of the next three turns at the dish, and it started in the fourth with a leadoff walk to junior second baseman Larry Fonseca who scored all the way from first on a two-out triple from junior first baseman Ryne Lina. In the fifth, a pair of singles from Niki and graduate student outfielder Travis Turney put runners at the corners, with Turney then getting in a run-down that allowed Niki to score. The tying run finally crossed in the sixth in a big way as Niki launched his first ART U blast on the first pitch he saw with two outs, tying the contest at 3-3. 

Unfortunately the tie did not last long, as the Eagles immediately answered with their first three-run inning with the highlights being a pair of extra base hits including a triple from Serratos, then later scoring another run on an error. Two innings later in the eighth Biola did it again, starting with a leadoff double before the second homer of the game from Serratos, and then scoring  the final run just two batters later after yet another double and RBI single to push the final to 9-3. 

A trio of Urban Knights had two-hit games in Niki, Turney and Lina, accounting for six of the eight ART U hits in the contest, with Niki the most productive by going 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI on his first homer of the season. Meanwhile, Lina was also 2-for-4 with an RBI to go with his double and triple, while Turney ended his game 2-for-5. Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision, though charged with the loss was sophomore righty Dwyer Lewis as his record moved to 1-4. 

GAME TWO – BU 12, ART U 2 (7 INNINGS)
Freshman shortstop Gabe Henderson started the action with an infield single, kicking off a mini rally where the Knights loaded the bases with just one out, but scored only once on a sacrifice fly to right field by redshirt junior catcher Liam Rizzo. However, the inning came to an abrupt end on a caught stealing at third base. 

From that point forward it was mainly Biola, as they put up five runs in the home half of the first in an inning that featured a pair of home runs, one from both Wyatt Duncan and Sam Lisiak. Both teams went relatively quietly in the second, and then the Eagles exploded again for six runs in the bottom of the third as they produced five runs on four hits, two of which went for extra bases (double and triple). Their final run of the game crossed the plate in the fourth on the third BU homer of the game, this one from Noah Ruiz to center field that made the score 12-1. 

The Urban Knights did manage one run in the fifth, with Fonseca reaching on a single before later scoring in the inning on a single into center from Niki, but that would be all they could push across in the shortened second game. In a reversal of game one, both starters were the pitchers of record as Bobby Brown earned his first win of the season with just the one earned run allowed on three hits in four innings, while ART U junior right-hander Devan Quesada allowed six earned runs on five hits as his record dropped to 3-2. 

Five different Urban Knights recorded the six hits in the game, with only Turney posting a multi-hit game as he was 2-for-3 with a double (ended the day 4-for-8). Also recording a hit in both games were Niki, Lina and Henderson, as Niki went 1-for-3 and has now driven in at least one run in four of his past five games. Collecting the other RBI without a hit on the day was Rizzo, tallying his 22nd of the year which ties him for the team lead and leaves him just two shy of the ART U single-season top 10. 

These two teams will run it back once more on Sunday, as they conclude this PacWest series with games three and four in doubleheader format tomorrow at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.