Glendale, Ariz. - The Firestorm would not be denied history or a series sweep against the Menlo Oaks on Saturday night. After winning a barn-burner in Game 1 (17-14) in which they trailed 7-1 early, Arizona Christian's Eli Elliott became the program's career-strikeout leader (251 K) in a 13-0 shutout. ACU pulled off their second GSAC sweep of 2024 and third series victory in conference play.

ACU registered a season-high 19 hits in Game 1 and another 14 in the night cap for the most in consecutive games (33). The Firestorm also scored 20 of their 30 runs with two outs on the board.

Marques Titialii was one of five players to record four hits in the double header, but separated himself with the team's second grand slam of 2024 in Game 1's third inning. With his latest home run, Titialii tied Trey Tarver with nine this season and an accompanying double in Game 2 rocketed his RBI total to a team-leading 32.

Jaylen Edmonds and Jared Anderson each batted in four runs and combined for seven hits, both seeing the ball extremely well. 

Andrew Ivy, Ryan Eastham and Kane Kiaunis rounded out those with four hits. Besides Titialii's four-run blast, Ivy and Matthew Beckworth fired balls over the fence, Beckworth's being a pivotal two-run home run in Game 1.

Jackson Hohensee was not as sharp as usual, but the Arizona Christian bullpen did enough to back him up. For Elliott, he struck out 10 Oaks to not only set the all-time strikeout record in Game 2 but also picked up his third win of the season.

GAME INFO

Score 1: RV Arizona Christian 17 | Menlo College 14
Score 2: RV Arizona Christian 13 | Menlo College 0
Records: RV ACU 17-14 (10-8 GSAC) | MC 9-18 (4-11 GSAC)
Location: Greenway High School - Glendale, AZ

STAT TRACKER (GAME 1 & 2)

Marques Titialii - 4 hits, 6 RBIs, 1 home run
Andrew Ivy - 4 hits, 3 RBIs, 1 home run
Jaylen Edmonds - 4 hits, 4 RBIs, 1 double
Jared Anderson - 3 hits, 4 RBIs, 1 triple
Ryan Eastham - 4 hits, 3 RBIs, 1 double
Kane Kiaunis - 4 hits, 4 runs, 1 double
Matthew Beckworth - 2 RBIs, 1 home run, 3 runs
Jackson Hohensee - 2.0 IP, 6 RA, 1 K
Eli Elliott - 6.1 IP, 0 RA, 10 K

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE (GAME 1)

Hohensee was met with fireworks right away, Menlo's Sage Pera launching a two-run home run after the first two batters got out. In a 2-0 hole, ACU could not capitalize on a Kiaunis double in their first at-bat.

Ethan Baird smashed a double off of Hohensee to lead off the second and two batters separated four consecutive singles. Though the Firestorm ended the inning with a double play, the Oaks' damage had already been dealt in the form of four runs. Second baseman Edmonds provided ACU much needed life with an RBI-single in the second to chip away at the six-run deficit.

Eastyn Culp relieved Hohensee in the third and allowed Menlo to score for the third straight inning. 

The stars would align for the Firestorm offense in the third. An astounding 14 batters would see the plate, as seven hits and one error scored nine runs. With two outs and a full count, Titialii connected with one and his grand slam vaulted ACU up to a 8-7 lead. Two more singles would lead to two more runs and a 10-7 advantage through three. 

Menlo, however, would add a run each of the next three innings whereas ACU would stand still and strand five base runners. A Jonathan Charboneau two-run home run with two outs in the seventh gave the Oaks a 12-10 lead.

The latest lead change was nothing to fear, as Jared Anderson unleashed a triple to score Tarver. Sean Garcia did not waste time in his pinch hit at-bat, ripping the first pitch for a double and scoring Anderson. With the game now tied at 12, Beckworth just barely cleared the right-field fence for a go-ahead two-run home run, also in his first plate appearance. 

Chay Esqueda stranded one runner in the eighth and the Firestorm increased their lead by three, thanks to a two-RBI single by Eastham.

Kiaunis was tasked with closing the game on the mound. Menlo's Pera put the game in question with his second two-run home run, but Kiaunis forced a proceeding groundout and struck out a batter to seal the win.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE (GAME 2)

Elliott began his historic game with one strikeout in the first, allowing one of two total Menlo hits to Pera (double). The Firestorm, in contrast, were able to flip their lineup (11 total batters) in the first and exploded for eight runs on seven hits. Ivy led it off with a single and homered in his second plate appearance of the inning. In the middle portion, ACU reeled off four straight singles.

His second walk out to the mound proved to be a sign of something special, Elliott striking out the Oaks in order. Zach Dyer managed a single off Elliott in the third, but the senior sensation rang up another three to reach seven for the game.

Garcia and Eastham complemented each other nicely in the third, with a single and double respectively. Despite back-to-back strikeouts, a wild pitch sent Eastham home and Ivy's third hit of the ball game cashed in the Firestorm's 10th run.

In the fifth, Elliott garnered his eighth strikeout and Titialii paid off two base runners (Edmonds and Deshon Thomas) with a double. 

Elliott struck out one more in the sixth frame to tie Trevor McGee's 250 career strikeouts. Eastham reached safely for the third time in Game 2 with an RBI-single that tallied the Firestorm's 13th and final run.

It would only take one more batter for Elliott to secure the all-time strikeout record, and he was met with a deserving reception and embrace from Coach Joe McDonald on the mound. Jordan Vickers relieved Elliott and only needed four pitches to force two outs.

THOUGHTS FROM COACH JOE MCDONALD

"Today was a great day for us after getting down by a huge deficit in the first game and showing the fight to get back into it and end up winning a slugfest," Coach McDonald said. "Congratulations to Eli Elliott for breaking the strikeout record and putting us on his back helping us to a shutout victory with a sweep. It's exactly what we needed this weekend to gain momentum going into the last month of the regular season."

NEXT FOR THE FIRESTORM

The Arizona Christian Firestorm step away from Greenway High School for a Tuesday night game against Park Gilbert (16-15, 7-6 Cal Pac). First pitch from Arizona Athletic Grounds is slated for 6:00 PM. Don't miss a single play with live stats at http://statb.us/b/519361 and watch the broadcast at https://wtsmtv.com/parkuniversity/.  
    
                          
Roll Storm!