Glendale, Ariz. - All facets of the game were in order for the Firestorm, as they cruised past Dickinson State (ND) 14-0 on Monday night under the lights of Greenway High School. Five players registered multi-hit games, led by Trey Tarver's three hits and four RBIs in the non-conference contest. Adrian Santa Cruz threw a career-best 11 strikeouts and only offered to 16 batters in his five innings of work.

Marques Titialii matched Tarver's mark with three hits of his own, featuring a double in the fifth frame. Jared Anderson and Sean Garcia, neighbors in the lineup at fifth and sixth, each reached safely on two occasions and batted in one run. Third baseman Kane Kiaunis came home a team-best three times in the ball game, recording a single in the first.

Designated hitter Tanner Vielguth got the offensive barrage started with a solo home run in the second inning.

Besides Santa Cruz, Riley Quinton and Sean Wiese contributed to allowing a season-low one hit against the visiting Blue Hawks. 

GAME INFO

Score: RV Arizona Christian 14 | Dickinson State (ND) 0 
Records: RV ACU 13-8 (6-3 GSAC) | DSU 2-14 (0-0 NSAA)
Location: Greenway High School - Glendale, AZ

STAT TRACKER

Trey Tarver - 3 hits, 4 RBIs, 1 double, 1 home run
Marques Titialii - 3 hits, 1 double, 2 runs
Jaylen Edmonds - 2 hits, 1 RBI, 1 double
Sean Garcia - 2 hits, 1 RBI
Jared Anderson - 2 hits, 1 RBI
Tanner Vielguth - 1 hit, 1 RBI, 1 home run
Kane Kiaunis - 1 hit, 1 RBI, 3 runs
Adrian Santa Cruz - 5.0 IP, 0 RA, 11 SOs

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

DSU's Wyatt Wilharm singled in the three hole after Santa Cruz rang up the first two Blue Hawks. It was surely not apparent at the time, but Wilharm's base-hit would be the only offensive highlight for DSU. Tarver and Kiaunis each singled their first time up to the plate, but an Anderson pop-up stranded two Firestorm in the opening frame.

A lineout to Edmonds and two strikeouts sat the Blue Hawks down in order before the fireworks began. Vielguth lit the flame with a towering bomb over the left center fence and the damage would remain 1-0 ACU through two complete innings.

Titialii kept the proceeding inning alive with a two-out single to left field. A Kiaunis walk freed up Anderson, as he singled into the right-field gap and scored Titialii. Though Anderson was caught trying to steal second base, Kiaunis sprinted across home plate before the tag and the Firestorm took a 3-0 advantage into the fourth frame.

Santa Cruz forced two flyouts before striking out his ninth batter of the night, and the Blue Hawks were retired in order for the third straight inning. Second baseman Garcia led off the fourth with a single but it was to no avail, as back-to-back strikeouts put a cork on the scoring opportunity.

Three consecutive punch-outs completed a career outing for Santa Cruz in the fifth. Eight Firestorm would get an at-bat in the bottom of the fifth, Tarver paying off a Edmonds' walk with a two-run blast over the right-field fence. A DSU fielding error and wild pitch would add another two runs to ACU's cause and see the scoreboard read 7-0.

Quinton stepped up in Santa Cruz's stead and only needed eight pitches to force three outs. Twelve Firestorm saw action in the sixth, as six hits doubled their run total (14). The first four runs were all earned but the final three went down as unearned, Vielguth reaching on a fielding error that should have put a pin in the scoring barrage. Tarver turned a two-RBI double and Edmonds recorded two hits (single, double) and scored one run in a busy half inning.

Wiese was given the honor to finish what would end up being the final inning.

THOUGHTS FROM COACH JOE MCDONALD

"We did a really good job taking care of business tonight with solid pitching defense and timely hitting," Coach McDonald said.

NEXT FOR THE FIRESTORM

The Arizona Christian Firestorm make their first true road trip of 2024, traveling to Fullerton, California for a three-game series against the Hope International Royals (10-8, 4-2 GSAC). Action begins Friday afternoon. Stay tuned, as the series schedule is still up in the air. Don't miss a single play with live stats at http://naiastats.prestosports.com/sports/bsb/2023-24/boxscores/20240308_dztz.xml and watch the broadcast at https://www.gsacsportsnetwork.com/azchristian/.  
    
                          
Roll Storm!