Phoenix, AZ- On the strength of great pitching performances from Sophomore Baylor Giannini and Seniors Austin Bright and Joel Klinkhammer, Arizona Christian beat College of Idaho 4-2 on Thursday afternoon.  Junior Michael Dunnebecke went 3-4 with a double at the plate.

After finding out he would be starting less than 24 hours out, Giannini gave up two hits sandwiched around a double play against the first three batters he faced.  But his punch out to end the top of the first was a sign of things to come as he would not allow another hit and struck out seven in his five innings of victorious work.  The win for Giannini was the first of his collegiate career.

In the bottom of the first, Dunnebecke signaled and motored all the way to third on a failed pickoff attempt.  A ground out by Senior Hector Ortiz drove home Dunnebecke.  Senior Jose Pereyda singled and then scored on a triple to right center off the bat of Junior Matt Mara to give ACU a 2-0 cushion.

The score remained 2-0 until the bottom of the fifth when Dunnebecke doubled home Senior Zach Vogel- who scored all the way from first.

Bright took over in the sixth by delivering a strike on the first seven pitches he threw and had a strikeout and fly out to his credit.  He ultimately gave up a single, hit batter, and two walks as he pitched into the eighth.

Klinkhammer went to the mound with two on and no one out and proceeded to walk the bases loaded followed by a hit batter to push across a run for the Yotes (0-1).  Another hit batter came on the heels of a strikeout and popup to make the score 3-2.  He escaped the jam with a groundout.

The Firestorm (3-1) added an insurance run when Dunnebecke came home on an error for the 4-2 lead.

Staying in to close out the game, Klinkhammer induced a groundout before COI saw their next two batters single.  However, Klinkhammer earned the save with a fly to center and yet another groundout.

Head Coach Bill Swift commented, "Giannini did a heck of a job throwing five scoreless innings in his spot start.  Bright and Klinkhammer did great out of the pen.  It was nice to see Dunnebecke have a big game to break out of a slump."

Tomorrow the same two teams will face off in the second game of the series.  First pitch at Firestorm Field will be at 2:00 pm.