Surprise, Ariz. — OUAZ Baseball dropped a 9–4 decision to No. 18 Johnson (Tenn.) on Friday afternoon at the Surprise Spring Training Complex, snapping the Spirit's four-game winning streak and moving their record to 4–1 on the season. Facing a nationally ranked opponent for the first time in 2026, OUAZ battled throughout but was unable to overcome a six-run deficit built by the Royals in the middle innings.

Johnson opened the scoring in the third and extended its lead with a three-run fourth and two more in the fifth, capitalizing on timely hits and a pair of unearned runs to take a 6–0 advantage. The Spirit responded in the bottom of the fifth, sparked by Trevor Lesperance's two-run double down the left-field line that scored Diego Duque and Ramos Jr. Matthew Carter followed with an RBI single to right, trimming the deficit to 6–3 and shifting momentum back toward OUAZ.

After Johnson added an unearned run in the seventh, OUAZ answered again in the eighth. Rolen Driscoll crossed the plate on a Mason Whitehead sacrifice fly to center, cutting the margin to 7–4 and keeping the Spirit within reach heading into the final inning. The Royals ultimately put the game away in the ninth with a two-out, two-RBI single to secure the 9–4 final.

Lesperance led the Spirit offensively, finishing 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Driscoll went 2-for-4 with a run, while Camden Knutson and Vincent Iwamura each collected two hits. On the mound, Micah Del Rio took the loss after allowing four runs on five hits over four innings, striking out five. Brandon Enders provided three innings of relief, surrendering three runs on three hits with two strikeouts. Parker Cadacio delivered a shutdown eighth inning with a pair of strikeouts, while Josiah Dominguez recorded an out in the ninth after inheriting a bases-loaded situation.

The Spirit will look to respond quickly, returning to Rangers Field 3 on Saturday for a doubleheader against Johnson, with Game 1 scheduled for an 11 a.m. MST first pitch.