Glendale, Ariz. - The Firestorm opened the 2024 season with a bang, as eight players cracked at least one hit in a dominant 16-3 victory over Olivet Nazarene on day one of the 5th Annual Coach Calderone Invitational. Through four innings, ACU built an 11-0 advantage over the visiting Tigers and never looked back in their first game at Greenway High School.

Kane Kiaunis, a junior making his Firestorm debut, got the party started with a double in the bottom of the first that scored three runners. The third baseman was one of five ACU players who registered multiple hits. Marques Titialii, a 2023 All-GSAC selection, and Deshon Thomas each ripped two-run home runs in the seventh to put icing on the top of the Firestorm's opener.

Senior Eli Elliott got the win as the starting pitcher, working 5.0 innings with six strikeouts and three allowed runs.      
        
GAME INFO

Score: Arizona Christian 16 | Olivet Nazarene 3
Records: ACU 1-0 (0-0 GSAC) | Olivet Nazarene 0-2 (0-0 CCAC)
Location: Greenway High School - Glendale, AZ

STAT TRACKER 

Jared Anderson - 3 hits, 2 doubles
Ryan Eastham - 2 hits, 3 RBIs
Marques Titialii - 1 home run, 3 RBIs
Deshon Thomas - 2 hits, 1 home run, 3 RBIs
Kane Kiaunis - 2 hits, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs
Eli Elliott - 5.0 IP, 5 HA, 6 strikeouts

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE 

Jack Dupuis led off the game for Olivet with a single up the middle, but that early positive soon fizzled out to a scoreless inning. The Firestorm, on the other hand, rattled off five runs in their first opportunity at the plate. A combination of two doubles (Anderson and Kiaunis), two walks, a hit by pitch and sacrifice fly resulted in a near perfect start for the home team.

After Eli Elliott stranded one runner for the second straight outing, ACU dealt the Tigers another blow. Anderson followed up a single from Andrew Ivy with another double, this time showing off his speed on the base pads as he rounded first. A balk and Titialii groundout produced two more runs (7-0, ACU).

The third time on the mound was Elliott's finest, as he notched three strikeouts on three batters faced, two of them caught looking. ACU responded to their first scoreless inning by reeling off four in the fourth. Four different Firestorm registered an RBI in the inning (Ryan Eastham, Sean Garcia, Kiaunis, Jaylen Edmonds). 

ONU got themselves on the scoreboard in the fifth thanks to a three-run shot to left center by Dupuis. Elliott coaxed the very next batter to ground out to escape the inning, and was in line for the win with his work finished for the night.

While dying down, the grand finale of fireworks occurred in the bottom of the seventh. Titialii and Thomas scored Anderson and Eastham with deep two-run home runs. 

Riley Quinton was given the ball in a closer's role, and used 22 pitches to get the final three outs, including one strikeout.

THOUGHTS FROM COACH JOE MCDONALD

"I was really pleased with playing well-rounded baseball tonight," Coach McDonald said. "We pitched very well, offensively we had discipline, good approach at the plate and ran the bases very well, with good enough defense to win most ball games. It was a great atmosphere. I love this group."

NEXT FOR THE FIRESTORM

The Firestorm roll into Day 2 of the 5th Annual Coach Calderone Invitational with Oklahoma Panhandle State next on the schedule. Friday's first pitch is set for 6:00 PM from Greenway High School. Follow the action with live stats at https://acufirestorm.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary and watch the game at https://www.gsacsportsnetwork.com/azchristian. 
    
                          
Roll Storm!