Surprise, Ariz. - An electric 16-6 come-from-behind win in Game 1 was watered-down with a 5-4 loss in the weekend finale, but nevertheless the Firestorm left Surprise Stadium with a 2-1 series victory over #25 OUAZ. Offense was certainly contagious for ACU, as eight players were credited with at least two hits and one RBI.
The Firestorm needed every bit of bat power in Game 1, matching their largest comeback victory (17-14 over Menlo) trailing 6-0 through two complete innings.
ACU grabbed an early 3-0 lead in Game 2 only to lose a walk-off solo home run from OUAZ's Joey Winters (3-for-4, 3 RBI) in extra innings.
Trey Tarver was a dynamo for the Firestorm, going 5-for-10 at the plate and ignited their Game 1 surge with a two-RBI triple. Kane Kiaunis was equally impressive with four hits and three RBI and Jared Anderson matched the same total for his 15th game with multiple hits.
Center fielder Andrew Ivy's incredible hit streak came to an abrupt end (26 games), neutralized in Game 2 following a three-hit, three-RBI Game 1 performance.
Starting pitchers Eastyn Culp (Game 1) and Eli Elliott (Game 2) combined for 6.0 innings of work and 11 total arms were put to use in Saturday's double header.
The series triumph translated into a 3-3 season-series tie with OUAZ.
GAME INFO
Score 1: RV Arizona Christian 16 | #25 OUAZ 6
Score 2: RV Arizona Christian 4 | #25 OUAZ 5 (8 INN)
Records: RV ACU 23-16 (12-9 GSAC) | #25 OUAZ 24-13 (9-12 GSAC)
Location: Surprise Stadium - Surprise, AZ
STAT TRACKER (GAME 1 & 2)
Trey Tarver - 5 hits, 2 RBI, 2 XTRA bases
Kane Kiaunis - 4 hits, 3 RBI, 1 double
Andrew Ivy - 3 hits, 3 RBI, 1 double
Jared Anderson - 3 hits, 3 RBI, 2 runs
Troy Collins - 2 hits, 4 RBI, 1 home run
Jaylen Edmonds - 1 hit, 2 RBI, 1 run
Matthew Beckworth - 2 hits, 1 run, 2 doubles
Eastyn Culp - 2.0 IP, 6 RA, 0 K
Eli Elliott - 4.0 IP, 3 RA, 3 K
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE (GAME 1)
An Ivy single was wasted in the first inning as the next three Firestorm batters were struck out. The Spirit pounced on Culp right off the first bat, a Daniel Durazo single and third hit of the inning put OUAZ up 1-0.
Two batters were stranded the next time around for ACU (Tanner Vielguth singled, Collins walked). Culp was not able to calm the storm in the second, surrendering four singles and five runs after the second out was recorded. Durazo registered his second RBI-single of the contest.
The third inning was when the tides began turning in ACU's favor. Ivy led off with a single and the flood gates were released. Tarver followed up a Kiaunis single with a two-RBI triple (his third of the season) and Anderson scored him with a single of his own. After Vielguth went down swinging, Collins uncorked his fifth home run of 2024 and the deficit was only one (6-5).
Jackson Van Eyk did a nice job in relief of Culp, punching out three Spirit batters and only allowing one hit in two innings. Both offenses cooled off for an extended period, as the fifth and sixth innings did not see a single hit.
The Firestorm saved one of their most explosive offensive outputs of the season for the seventh. Twelve batters would produce eight runs on seven hits, only one of which was for extra-bases (Ivy RBI-double). An amazing seven players earned an RBI and Kiaunis, one of three with two plate appearances in the inning, singled in both attempts.
Evan Hieb, the eventual winning pitcher, only needed 14 pitches to retire the OUAZ side in order following the scoring barrage.
ACU added three more runs in the final two frames and did not allow an OUAZ hit in the final five frames for a 10-run Game 1 victory.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE (GAME 2)
Two one-out doubles from Tarver and Kiaunis resulted in two first-inning runs. Elliott forced two fly outs in his first mound appearance to strand one Spirit base runner.
Beckworth rapped the Firestorm's third double of Game 2 to lead off the second inning. Two consecutive groundouts (Edmonds, Ivy) brought the shortstop home and extended their advantage to 3-0. For the second consecutive inning, Elliott saw four batters and limited the damage to one hit.
OUAZ woke up in the third, turning four hits into three runs and tying the ball game after ACU's first scoreless inning.
The Firestorm only managed one hit over the next two at-bats and trailed the Spirit for the first time following a solo shot by Winters in the fifth frame. Garcia was left on base for the second time after his second single of the game in the sixth. Jackson Hohensee, in his first of two innings of relief, retired OUAZ in order.
Beckworth pulled off the same feat as in the second, doubling to lead off the seventh. A wild pitch advanced Deshon Thomas (pinch running for Beckworth) to third. Ivy did the necessary work to score Thomas, lifting a fly-ball to right field. Hohensee rang up three batters (all looking strikeouts) to send the game to extra innings.
Tarver singled to begin the eighth, but received no help as the proceeding three batters could only do so much as to advance him to second.
The first baseman Tarver was asked to step onto the bump in the eighth. His effort to force another inning of baseball was short lived, Winters connecting on his fourth pitch and walking off the game for OUAZ with his second solo home run.
THOUGHTS FROM COACH JOE MCDONALD
"We came into this weekend with the goal of winning the series and we accomplished it," Coach McDonald said. "It would have been nice to get the sweep, but I'm really proud of how we continue to improve our brand of baseball and get tougher and tougher week by week. I love this team."
NEXT FOR THE FIRESTORM
The Arizona Christian Firestorm will match up with University of Saint Katherine (2-15, 2-11 Cal Pac) on Monday in their fourth-to-last home game of the 2024 regular season. First pitch from Greenway High School is scheduled for 3:30 PM. Don't miss a single play with live stats at https://acufirestorm.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary and watch the broadcast at
https://www.gsacsportsnetwork.com/azchristian/.
Roll Storm!
