Phoenix, AZ- The ACU Baseball team split with visiting team San Diego Christian in an unusual Friday doubleheader.  ACU won game one 6-3 before falling short 8-6 in game two.

In the first game, Arizona Christian played as the away team in the contest batting first as this was a make up game from when the Firestorm played at San Diego Christian in March.

In the opener, the Firestorm used a strong fifth inning collecting all six runs on nine hits.  With one out, Junior Nicholas McCormick singled up the middle.  Sophomore Todd Furr would advance McCormick to second on a single to right field.  McCormick would later score on a single to left field by Junior Trent Troncone. Sophomore Brent Smith, who was running for Furr, scored on an error by the Hawks allowing the Firestorm to take a 2-0 lead.  Senior Jonathan Nunnally, Jr. would then put a charge in the ball homering over the left-center field fence plating three runs and a 5-0 ACU lead.  Junior Eric Schwalbe would score the final run in the frame for ACU on a single through the left side from Freshman Ethan Watt.

ACU ended game one with 13 hits as a team.

San Diego Christian would show fight plating one run in the fifth and two more in the sixth but could not complete a rally.

Nunnally, Jr. went 3-for-4 in the game with a home run, three RBI, and a run scored.  Schwalbe went 2-for-5 with a one run scored.  McCormick and Watt also collected multi-hit performances as McCormick ended the game 2-for-4 and Watt ended the game 2-for-2.

Junior Robert Milacki started on the mound tossing seven innings allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out 10 and walking one in the win.  Milacki is now 5-5 on the year.  Junior Baylor Giannini tossed 1.2 innings of scoreless relief while Senior Austin Bright came in for the one out save- his second on the season.

Game two started much different from the fifth inning in game one.  ACU was held hitless through five innings. The Hawks (15-28-1, 10-24 GSAC) would plate runs in the first, second, and fourth innings for a 4-0 lead.

In the sixth inning, the Firestorm (18-28, 12-22 GSAC) showed life scoring three runs on one hit and one Hawks error.  Sophomore Jordan Meier reached first on an error.  Senior Dom Rodriguez would draw a walk.  Senior Adam Wolfe would then drive in all three runs on a home run to left field to cut the deficit to one at 4-3.

San Diego Christian would plate four more runs in the seventh, but ACU wouldn't go away easily. The Firestorm plated three runs on two hits and left three on base in the bottom half of the seventh.  Senior Marco Castilla started the inning drawing a walk.  Senior Kyle Robbins then singled to right field putting runners on first and second.  After a wild pitch, Troncone would send a sacrifice fly to center field scoring Castilla.  Sophomore Cohen Heckethorn followed suite and send another sacrifice fly to left field plating the second run of the inning for ACU.  Nunnally, Jr. drove in the final run of the game on a single.

Nunnally, Jr., Wolfe, and Robbins collected the Firestorm's three hits in the contest.  Nunnally, Jr. and Wolfe drove in two RBI apiece while Wolfe scored one run.

Junior River Carbone started on the bump throwing four innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits while fanning three.  Senior Colton Wheeler, Junior Yuan (Leo) Liu, Senior Tony Pins and Bright all saw action on the mound in relief.  Wheeler and Liu both tossed one scoreless inning each.  Carbone recorded the loss falling to 1-2.

The Hawks and Firestorm will continue the weekend GSAC series tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 11:00 am.