WADDELL, Ariz. - The ACU baseball team (27-16; 3-5 GSAC) split Saturday's conference doubleheader with Ottawa University - Arizona (16-15; 6-2 GSAC), taking game one 16-5 while losing game two, 4-3 on Senior Day at Canyon View High School.

Series/Game Notes:

After the four-game series, ACU leads the all-time series, 13-9.  Prior to the game, ACU's 22 seniors from the both 2020 and 2021 seasons were honored on the field.

Game One:

The Firestorm bats were alive and well in game one, totaling 16 runs on 16 hits, including a home run from senior Ramon Miranda, three doubles from Manny Villa, and a pair of doubles from senior Justen Burkey.  Half of ACU's hits were extra-base hits.

Senior starting pitcher Brett Aker (8-0) stayed unbeaten and threw six innings of one-run baseball, walking three and punching out one while allowing just six hits.  Three ACU relievers combined to toss the final three innings and allowed five runs on seven hits.

Burkey had four hits, three RBI, and scored three times Justin Ramirez went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, an RBI, and a stolen base, and Villa added three hits, scored three times, knocked in two, and walked twice.

Game Two:

ACU led 3-2 after the first inning and would continue to lead by that same score until the six inning, in which OUAZ tied the game after plating a single run.  The Firestorm were held scoreless in their half of the sixth and would go on to drop the second game 4-3 on the day after allowing a solo, go-ahead home run to the Spirit in the seventh.

Senior starter Trevor McGee went 5-2/3 and allowed three runs, no earned, on seven hits while allowing no walks with six strikeouts.  Senior reliever Anthony Defrancesco (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season and allowed one run on one hit while punching out two in 1-1/3 innings of work.

Villa had the only multi-hit performance for a Firestorm offense that totaled just six hits in game two, sending a towering, two-run blast over the fence in right center.  Senior Brent Smith went 1-for-3 and scored a run, Miranda knocked in a run and scored once, and Burkey, and senior Ty Isbell each added one hit.

Thoughts from Coach: 

"I was really proud of the way we responded today, and it was a great day honoring our seniors.  We cannot be more proud of the seniors for all they do for the program, our campus, and the community to honor Christ."

Up Next:

Coached by Joe McDonald, the Firestorm play a non-conference game at OUAZ on Thur., April 1 at 6 p.m. Arizona Time in Surprise, Ariz.