Glendale, Ariz. - With first pitch not coming till 9:35 PM, the Firestorm had been idle for over 48 hours and it was apparent in an error-filled 8-5 loss to RV St. Thomas (FL) in the final game of the 2024 East West Challenge. Arizona Christian recorded a season-low in the hits category (5) and their second-most errors (4), falling behind 7-0 through the top of the sixth inning. They did not roll over, however, scoring five runs in the inward four innings to make it a respectable ending to a marathon of a tournament.

Justin Colon and Trey Tarver brightened a rather dull performance, igniting a cold and shrinking crowd with a two-run blast and triple respectively.

In his second start of 2024, Eli Elliott worked his way through 5.0 innings, surrendering four runs on six hits and punching out six batters on 94 pitches. Of the five relievers that strolled out to the mound, Evan Hieb threw the most efficiently, needing 19 pitches to get out of the seventh while striking out one batter and not allowing a hit.

At the conclusion of the second East West Challenge, the Firestorm finished with a 1-3 record and are now 3-5 all-time in the prestigious tournament.

GAME INFO

Score: RV Arizona Christian 5 | RV St. Thomas (FL) 8
Records: RV ACU 3-4 (0-0 GSAC) | RV STU (FL) 5-3 (0-0 Sun)
Location: Greenway High School - Glendale, AZ

STAT TRACKER 

Justin Colon - 1 hit, 2 RBIs, 1 home run
Trey Tarver - 1 hit, 1 RBI, 1 triple
Andrew Ivy - 1 hit
Jared Anderson - 1 hit, 2 runs
Marques Titialii - 1 hit
Troy Collins - 1 RBI
Eli Elliott - 5.0 IP, 4 RA, 6 strikeouts

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

Despite a fielding error by first baseman Tanner Vielguth on the batter (Matt Granato), Elliott and the Firestorm got out of the first inning unscathed. ACU's Ivy led off with a single through the left side but Anderson was doubled up and nothing came from the good start.

With two outs on the board, Elliott walked St. Thomas' Robin Hernandez and allowed a single from the next batter (Lucas Lopez) to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead. The damage was kept at one, for Granato flied out to left field. ACU was once again disarmed in the bottom of the second, three of the four batters up to plate striking out swinging. 

Elliott would ring up three consecutive Bobcat batters in the third, but not before conceding a two-run home run from Luis Rodriguez sandwiched between two base-hits. Now trailing 3-0, Titialii notched his first hit of the ball game with two outs already on the scoreboard. For the third straight inning, the Firestorm left one runner on base as Tarver struck out swinging.

The fourth inning saw no action, as neither team reached safely by means of a hit. Nonetheless, Arizona Christian possessed the best conversion opportunity, with runners (Vielguth and Kane Kiaunis) on first and second following a hit by pitch and walk. A groundout and the Firestorm's ninth strikeout of the night shut the door on the inning.

St. Thomas added another run in the fifth, thanks to a wild pitch moving a runner (Kendry Noriega) into scoring position and a sacrifice fly to center field by Angelo Piloto. While the Firestorm did not hit the ball for the fourth straight inning, they once again were presented a chance to score with two walks from reliever Darwin Ruiz. A lineout from Tarver and strikeout from Collins kept the Firestorm scoreless.

Things really got out of hand in the sixth, as ACU committed two errors and the Bobcats jumped on the fortune with a Robin Hernandez double that sent in two runs. Hernandez then scored on a throwing error by Collins. 

The Firestorm still had a pulse, as Colon smashed a ball over the left-field fence and scored Vielguth to make the difference 7-2. Two groundouts ended the inning. Hieb relieved Sean Wiese in the seventh and got the job done, sitting the St. Thomas batters down in order. Collins converted a groundout into a Firestorm run (Anderson) in the seventh to move within four runs.

After allowing one final run in eighth (8-3), Arizona Christian tallied the most hits they had all night (2) in their final time up at the plate. Anderson singled and advanced to second via a throwing error by the St. Thomas first baseman. Tarver then showed off his speed by turning a double into a triple and scoring Anderson. He would score on the next bat thanks to a wild pitch. Kiaunis had the honor of being the final batter of the entire tournament near the 1:00 AM mark of Sunday morning, and hit into a double-play.

NEXT FOR THE FIRESTORM

The Arizona Christian Firestorm see their first road action of the year this Thursday, when they head to Gene Autry in Mesa to play #19 Benedictine Mesa. First pitch will be at 6:00 PM. 
    
                          
Roll Storm!