Glendale, Ariz. - Joe McDonald's Firestorm were never out of the fight on Tuesday night, but the inability to produce hits late saw their seven-game winning streak broken and a 7-6 Embry-Riddle (AZ) road victory. ACU rallied back from a 5-1 deficit (6-5 through five complete), but went scoreless in the final four innings and could not stonewall the Eagles.

Marques Titialii, current GSAC Player of the Week, was relentless at the plate on his way to three RBI (12th game with multiple RBI) and two extra-base hits. Jaylen Edmonds accompanied the left fielder with a pair of hits, highlighted by a lead-off triple in the third frame.

Andrew Ivy kept his hitting streak alive (24 games) with an RBI-single in the third inning.

Jackson Hohensee made his eighth start of 2024 and surrendered five runs in 3.1 innings despite recording seven punch-outs (third-highest this season). Chay Esqueda gave the Firestorm a real chance with two innings of work (five strikeouts in seven batters faced).

GAME INFO

Score: RV Arizona Christian 6 | Embry-Riddle (AZ) 7
Records: RV ACU 21-15 (10-8 GSAC) | ERAU 21-13 (10-5 Cal Pac)
Location: Greenway High School - Glendale, AZ

STAT TRACKER

Marques Titialii - 2 hits, 3 RBI, 1 home run 
Jaylen Edmonds - 2 hits, 2 runs, 1 triple
Andrew Ivy - 1 hit, 1 RBI, 3 runs
Trey Tarver - 1 hit, 1 RBI, 1 double
Jackson Hohensee - 3.1 IP, 5 RA, 7 K
Chay Esqueda - 2.0 IP, 0 RA, 5 K

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

The Eagles had their way early, Travis Strikler and Javier Izaguirre Jr. leading the game off with singles before Cal Pac's best Drew Barragan cleared the bases with a three-run home run. Hohensee retired the next three batters (groundout and two strikeouts).

A serious Firestorm response seemed to be brewing, as Titialii doubled and scored Ivy after a lead-off walk. A potential scoring barrage was contained to one run with the next three batters going down in order. Hohensee avoided giving up runs for a second straight inning, stranding two ERAU runners with his fifth strikeout of the outing.

Barragan followed up his opening home run with a lead-off double in the third. Another double from Luke Jepsen sent Barragan home with one out on the board. Two wild pitches to Blake Moore allowed Jepsen to score before Moore was rung up by Hohensee.

ACU was hardly bothered by the situation they found themselves in. Edmonds led off the third with a blazing triple that Ivy converted into a run with a check-swing single. Titialii, third man up, towered a ball over the right-field fence and suddenly the Eagles' advantage was only one (5-4). A lineout and two groundouts extinguished a three-run spark.

Esqueda retired ERAU in order in his first inning of relief. Edmonds got things brewing with a lead-off single in the fifth. Ivy got aboard a second time by walking and the two players stole a base to position themselves at second and third. A Kiaunis walk loaded the bases before Tarver scored Edmonds with a groundout to second and Ivy paid off a second run thanks to a fielding error by first baseman Owen Cain.

The Eagles registered their eighth hit of the game in the sixth (Gavin Botts) but Esqueda managed a second straight scoreless inning. Arizona Christian could not extend the lead, the lineup being retired in order.

Barragan tied the game at 6-6 with his second home run of the night and another Firestorm "three up, three down" meant the winner would be decided past the seventh. Harrison Howell sat ERAU's lineup down in order, executing his eighth-inning task to perfection. 

Tarver doubled off the right-field wall with one out recorded. Tanner Vielguth smashed a ball directly into the glove of Eagles' pitcher Zach Sharp, contact that surely would have resulted in a base-hit if not an RBI-single. The extremely unlucky turn-of-events abruptly shut the door on the Firestorm attack.

Tarver struck out two of his first three batters in the ninth, Strickler doubling as the second man up. This time around Barragan was intentionally walked, but a succeeding wild pitch advanced Strickler to third. Roberto Garza-Nunez ended up the hero for ERAU, shooting a single through the middle and scoring Strickler.

NEXT FOR THE FIRESTORM

The Arizona Christian Firestorm will make the cross-town trip to Surprise for the first of a three-game series with #25 OUAZ (23-11, 8-10) this Friday night. First pitch from Surprise Stadium is slated for 5:00 PM. Don't miss a single play with live stats at https://ouazspirit.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary and watch the broadcast at https://www.gsacsportsnetwork.com/azchristian/.
    
                          
Roll Storm!