Lewiston, Idaho - Everything that could go wrong for Arizona Christian did on Monday evening, as five-seed Reinhardt shattered individual and team single-game records on their way to an indescribable 30-13 victory in Game 11 of the 2024 Avista NAIA World Series. ACU held an everbrief 3-2 lead after one inning, but ultimately the offensive and defensive output were unevenly yoked to say the least. The two teams combined for an unbelievable 43 runs (second most in tournament history) and 45 hits (most in tournament history). 

The severely lopsided loss places the Firestorm in a win-or-go-home game against four-seed Hope International tomorrow, who is also 2-1 entering Tuesday. 

Despite the result, ACU established a program record for most doubles in a single season. Ryan Eastham's RBI-double in the third inning was the team's 134th (136 by the end of the game), breaking a mark set just this past season. The feat came only one game after the Firestorm reset the program record for most hits in a single season (649 in 2019), now at 676 and counting.

Senior Marques Titialii joined the record-breaking trend, the left fielder edging Justin Ramirez's record for most runs scored in a single season (66). After his second hit of the ball game, Titialii scored after a two-RBI double by Sean Garcia. He added his third run of the game and 68th of the season the very next inning and will have at least one more game to increase the high bar.

Trey Tarver did not miss a beat, reaching base safely four of five times at the plate (3-for-4, one walk) and scoring three runs. The first baseman has now registered six hits, four RBI and five runs on the national stage and has not only recorded a hit in every postseason game but carries a 13-game hitting streak into Tuesday.

Kane Kiaunis dug deep yet again, knocking his seventh and eighth hits in the 2024 Avista NAIA World Series. The junior is the lone Firestorm player to record multiple hits in all three games.

Eastyn Culp struggled mightily in his 11th start on the mound, surrendering seven earned runs in only 1.1 innings of work. ACU's seven-man pitching effort combined to give up 28 earned runs and produced two scoreless frames.

GAME INFO

Score: RV Arizona Christian 13 | #9 Reinhardt 30
Records: RV ACU 38-20 | #9 RU 43-16
Location: Harris Field - Lewiston, ID

STAT TRACKER

Trey Tarver - 3 hits, 1 RBI, 3 runs, 1 triple
Marques Titialii - 2 hits, 2 RBI, 3 runs, 1 home run
Ryan Eastham - 2 hits, 2 RBI, 1 double
Kane Kiaunis - 2 hits, 2 RBI, 1 run
Matthew Beckworth - 2 hits, 1 RBI, 1 run
Andrew Ivy - 2 hits, 1 run, 1 RBI
Sean Garcia - 1 hit, 2 RBI, 1 double
Riley Quinton - 1 hit, 1 RBI, 1 run, 1 home run
Jaylen Edmonds - 1 hit, 1 RBI, 1 double 
Deshon Thomas - 2 runs
Eastyn Culp - 1.1 IP, 7 RA
Quinton - 2.0 IP, 2 RA, 1 K

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

Culp fell victim to the Eagles' Tucker Zdunich, who walloped a ball for a two-run home run. With the damage left at two, Titialii paid off Andrew Ivy's lead-off single with a no-doubt bomb over the left field fence (his 26th home run of the season). Eastham sent Tarver home on a two-out single and gave the Firestorm a 3-2 advantage through one complete.

Reinhardt's first of several run barrages came in the second, as 10 players saw pitches and five hits and two walks were transformed into seven runs. Adrian Vargas authored the final two runs with a two-run home run to right field. ACU was responseless initially, going "three up, three down" in their second offensive opportunity.

Another 10 Eagle batters came to the plate in the third, ACU committing three costly errors that turned three hits into seven runs. Zdunich crushed his second base-clearer of the contest, this one producing three runs. The Firestorm had something to say this time around, Tarver smacking his fourth triple of the season in the lead-off spot and three additional base-hits resulting in three runs.

A 16-6 score flashed quickly on the digital scoreboard, before Reinhardt sent 10 batters up to face ACU pitching for the third consecutive inning. Sean Wiese and Quinton tag-teamed the fourth and witnessed another six-run burst from the Eagles. Through three and a half, the Firestorm faced their largest deficit of the season (22-6).

Titialii's single in the fourth brought him level with Brent Smith's record for most hits in a single season (87). He and Jared Anderson were waved through home on a two-out double by Garcia to shave two runs off the 16-run hole (22-8). Quinton guided the Firestorm defense to their first 1, 2, 3 inning of the game via three force outs.

Matthew Beckworth then led off the ACU fifth with a chopper over second base. After Titialii reached after being hit by a pitch, Tarver and Kiaunis drove in two runs on singles. Kiaunis made the switch from third base to pitcher in the sixth and stranded two Eagle runners following a 6-4-3 double play.

Quinton, now at third, aggressively swung at a first pitch and ended up with just his second home run of the season to begin the Firestorm sixth. After a Jaylen Edmonds double and Ivy single, ACU had scored seven unanswered runs and had nearly trimmed their deficit in half (22-13).

Kiaunis' luck ran out in the seventh, as his first offering was turned into Reinhardt's seventh home run by Matty Maurer. Another three Eagles would step on home plate to double up the Firestorm 26-13. ACU was denied a run for just the second time, as Anderson was stranded at first following a one-out single.

Evan Hieb and Mackenzie Salmon made mound appearances in the eighth and ninth, Salmon responsible for one of four ACU strikeouts.  

THOUGHTS FROM COACH JOE MCDONALD

"I LOVE THIS TEAM," Coach McDonald said.

NEXT FOR THE FIRESTORM

Arizona Christian will attempt to keep their Red Banner aspirations alive in the loser's bracket (Game 13), as they take on a familiar foe in #10 Hope International tomorrow. The Firestorm's first elimination game of the 2024 Avista NAIA World Series is set for 11:05 AM. Don't miss a single play with live stats at https://naiastats.prestosports.com/links/9z95at and watch the action at https://naiastats.prestosports.com/links/elx90d. 

                          
Roll Storm!