Five runs over three innings paved the way to a victory for the OUAZ Spirit in their season opener over Taylor University on Thursday afternoon at the Texas Rangers Spring Training facility.
 
Nathan Tarver went two for three with a pair of RBIs, while Nicholas Lustig drove in three in a one-for-four performance.
 
On the mound, the Spirit trio of Evan Massie, Trey Trimble (W, 1-0), and Connor Wilson (Sv, 1) combined to limit the Trojans (0-1) to two runs on seven hits while striking out 11 batters.
 
Tarver singled with one out in the bottom of the fourth.  He advanced to third, and Daniel Durazo reached on an error.  Sergio Alfaro brought Tarver home on a sacrifice fly to right field.  Durazo would follow that with the first stolen base of the season.  Owen Prendergast struck out to close out the inning.
 
After Taylor tied the game up in the top of the fifth, with two out, Joel Esparza walked.  Lustig followed with another walk, pushing Esparza to second.  Zeke Esparza would replace his brother as a pinch runner.  Joey Winters would walk to load the bases.  Tarver would single to bring in Esparza and Lustig while pushing Winters to third.  That is how the inning would end.
 
The Trojans would score one run in the top of the sixth to make it 3-2 OUAZ.
 
Alfaro would score on a wild pitch with the bases loaded and one out.  Joel Esparza, who had reentered the game in the top of the inning, was hit by a pitch to reload the bases.  Lustig registered a run batted in on a ground out to second to make it 5-2.
 
The Spirit would close out the scoring when Lustig doubled to left field to bring in Logan Myer and Prendergast.
 
The same two teams will play a doubleheader today at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Rangers Field 3.