Mesa, Ariz.- In a dramatic and hard-fought battle, the OUAZ Spirit fell to arch-rival Arizona Christian University (ACU) by a score of 5-4 in the opening round of the GSAC Tournament on Monday afternoon.

The Spirit struck first in the fifth inning after a tight start to the game. With the bases loaded and two outs, Nicholas Lustig delivered in the clutch, ripping a bases-clearing triple down the left-field line. Logan Meyer, Luke Hyzdu, and Matthew Carter all came around to score, giving OUAZ a 3-0 lead and a surge of momentum heading into the later innings.

Starter Austin Humphres was stellar for the Spirit, holding ACU in check through much of the game. Over 6.2 innings, Humphres scattered just five hits while allowing only one earned run, keeping the potent Firestorm lineup off balance.

OUAZ maintained its 3-0 advantage into the bottom of the seventh inning. After Humphres recorded two outs, it appeared the Spirit would escape the inning unscathed. However, ACU mounted a dramatic two-out rally. Three runs scored with two outs to chase Humphres from the game. Zach Hangas then came in to relieve and facingTrey Tarver, who delivered the decisive blow on the first pitch from Hangas — a two-run, go-ahead home run to right field — flipping the game in ACU's favor at 5-3.

Despite the sudden momentum shift, OUAZ refused to go quietly. In the top of the ninth inning, Nano Perez stepped to the plate and blasted a solo home run over the right-field fence, cutting the deficit to just one. However, the Spirit were unable to push across the tying run and ultimately saw their comeback bid fall just short.

With the loss, OUAZ drops into the elimination bracket and will play a win-or-go-home game later tonight (April 28, 2025) at 6PM (MST) against the loser of the matchup between The Master's and Hope International. The Spirit will look to regroup quickly as they fight to keep their season alive.