SURPRISE, Ariz. – The OUAZ baseball team gave up seven runs in the top of the ninth and lost to No. 16 Benedictine Mesa 11-7 on Tuesday night at Kansas City Royals Field No. 6 at the Surprise Stadium Recreation Complex.
OUAZ had built a 7-4 lead through eight innings before the visitors rallied for the seven runs on four hits to stun the Spirit. Entering the ninth, the OUAZ bullpen had allowed just two hits with 11 strikeouts in six innings.
Derek Hayenga got the Spirit on the board with a 2-run single in the bottom of the first.
Chuck Steele would add an RBI double in the second inning and then Rylan Colling added another run with a sacrifice bunt.
The OUAZ lead reach 6-4 in the sixth inning when
Austin Shumaker scored on a wild pitch when he leaped over the catcher and tagged the plate before being tagged.
Shumaker had two hits in the game to lead the team's 8-hit effort. One of his two hits was a double to match the double of Steele and
Adrian Salazar.
Zachary McLeod started the game on the mound and was tagged with four runs on six hits in two innings.
Taylor Campos followed with two scoreless innings allowing just one hit with three strikeouts.
Dylan Chelini then went three innings with six strikeouts and one hit.
After working a scoreless eighth inning,
Travis Turner (2-1) gave up five runs on three walks to suffer the loss.
