Irvine, Calif. - The Firestorm faced their largest deficit of the season (13-0) in the opening game of the 2024 GSAC Baseball Tournament, and, despite a late charge, lost 15-6 to two-seed and #12 Jessup. An unusually messy performance from starting pitcher Eli Elliott and only one extra-base hit kept ACU scoreless for the first six innings. While the Firestorm's conference championship hopes are far from dashed, each game earned moving forward will have elimination lurking in the background.

Marques Titialii, recently named to the 2024 All-GSAC and Gold Glove teams, was no less productive and demonstrated his ability to manufacture offense in the face of adversity. The left fielder led Joe McDonald's club with three hits and two RBI, moving his season totals to 70 and 72 respectively.

Catcher Ryan Eastham and designated hitter Trey Tarver matched each other's two-hit effort. The latest plate performance was Eastham's 11th multi-hit game and Tarver's fifth consecutive game with a hit (four being multi-hit games).

Andrew Ivy, ACU Baseball's hitting streak king, rapped the team's lone double of the contest (his 10th of the season), an RBI-double in the ninth. 

Elliott, named GSAC Pitcher of the Year just yesterday morning, gave up a season-high nine hits and eight runs in 3.1 innings on the mound. A trio of Firestorm relievers did not fare much better, combining to surrender 10 hits and seven Warrior runs.

GAME INFO

Score: RV Arizona Christian 6 | #12 Jessup 15
Records: RV ACU 32-18 | #12 JU 37-9
Location: OC Great Park - Irvine, CA

STAT TRACKER

Marques Titialii - 3 hits, 2 RBI
Ryan Eastham - 2 hits, 1 RBI
Trey Tarver - 2 hits, 1 run
Deshon Thomas - 1 hit, 2 runs
Andrew Ivy - 1 hit, 1 RBI, 1 run
Jared Anderson - 1 hit, 1 run
Eli Elliott - 3.1 IP, 8 RA, 4 K

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

Titialii sought to give ACU a boost right out of the gates, following up a single with a steal of second base. A Tarver strikeout left him stranded however. Elliott seemed ready to go in the first, forcing three consecutive groundouts and retiring the Warrior side.

Left-hander Max Moreno (6.0 IP, 0 RA, 7 K) got rolling in the second, striking the Firestorm side down in order. Then the red-hot Chris Lopez kick-started four straight hits for Jessup with a lead-off double. With two runs already through home, Cole Hazel turned a bunt into a third score and the scoreboard read 3-0 Warriors through two complete.

ACU was still stuck on one hit through three innings, whereas Jessup added two more doubles after their lineup's second go by Elliott. The second double from Drew Andrews meant two runners would score, both unearned due to a throwing error by shortstop Matthew Beckworth.

Another offensive opportunity went by the wayside, as the Firestorm went down in order for the second straight inning. Despite Elliott settling in with a lead-off strikeout, a proceeding single and walk set up a Lopez three-run home run (only the fifth Elliott has given up this season). Lucero replaced the struggling Elliott immediately following this sequence, but earned the inning's final two outs only after another three Warrior runs came through home plate.

Arizona Christian finally saw more than one base runner in the fifth, but once again squandered any positive movement. A string of three Jessup hits (15 at this point) off of Sean Wiese sealed the largest deficit (13-0) for the Firestorm this whole season.

While ACU went "three up, three down" in the sixth, Wiese was able to blank the Warriors for the first time all game (three strikeouts). The Firestorm's outlook changed a bit in the seventh, as Tarver started a chain reaction of four hits and four runs. A bit of luck went ACU's way as well to shoot in the final three, Ivy reaching first on a throwing error by shortstop Jack Grant.

Any inkling of a comeback (13-4) was shattered, as Jessup added a run in the closing two innings to keep the lead out of reach. However, the nature of ACU Baseball is to not give up. With two outs and seemingly nothing to play for, Deshon Thomas, Ivy and Titialii strung three hits together to perhaps flip the script heading into tomorrow's win-or-go-home game.

THOUGHTS FROM COACH JOE MCDONALD

"Today we were not at our best and prepared and that is on me," Coach McDonald said. "I take full responsibility for today and we will be ready to go tomorrow. I guarantee it."

NEXT FOR THE FIRESTORM

Arizona Christian will attempt to stave off elimination tomorrow morning with a loser's bracket matchup against five-seed Vanguard. First pitch from OC Great Park is slated for 10:00 AM. Don't miss a single play with live stats at https://naiastats.prestosports.com/sports/bsb/2023-24/boxscores/20240430_dbrd.xml and watch the broadcast at https://www.gsacsportsnetwork.com/vanguard/. Follow the entire 2024 GSAC Baseball Tournament here.
    
                          
Roll Storm!