SURPRISE, Ariz. – The OUAZ baseball team began Golden State Athletic Conference play on Friday by splitting a doubleheader with Hope International. OUAZ fell in the opener, 8-3, at Willow Canyon High School before taking game two, 5-3, on Royals 6 at the Surprise Recreation Complex.
 
With the day's results, OUAZ is now 2-7 overall this season and 1-1 in GSAC play. Hope International moves to 7-4 and 1-1.
 
GAME 1
Hope International jumped out a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third inning before Ben Lewis hit a two-run home run to left to get the Spirit on the board. The Royals would continue to tack on runs and without the help of a big inning, and then use their pitching to fend off the Spirit.
 
OUAZ had just six hits in the game with Lewis posting two of them. Adrian Salazar drove in the team's other run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.
 
Riley Grivette (0-1) took the loss allowing two runs on two hits on 1.2 innings. Travis Turner went 6.1 and allowed six runs on six hits. Hayden Sandman worked a perfect ninth.
 
GAME 2
Down 2-0 into the bottom of the third in the second game, the Spirit bats got things going with four in the frame to take their first lead of the day. Jared Crockett knocked in the first two runs with a single and then Lewis and Jordan Hollins drove in the next two.
 
Crockett and Hunter Lessard picked up two hits apiece in the win as OUAZ totaled eight hits as a team.
 
Gage Johnson (1-0) earned his first win of the season after giving up three runs (two earned) on eight hits in 4.2 innings. Myles White secured the his first save of the season allowing no hits or runs in the final 2.1 innings.
 
The teams will wrap-up their season series on Saturday with another two games. The first is at 11 a.m. at Willow Canyon High School with game two at Royals 6 at 3 p.m.