Riverside, Calif. — The OUAZ baseball team kept the momentum rolling on Friday in Riverside, taking both games of a doubleheader against La Sierra in convincing fashion. The Spirit offense erupted for 23 total runs on the day, highlighted by a dominant victory in Game 1 and a gritty comeback win in Game 2.
Game 1 — OUAZ 17, La Sierra 1
OUAZ wasted no time setting the tone in the opener, exploding for five runs in the first inning and never looking back on the way to a 17-1 rout.
The Spirit lineup came out swinging early. After putting runners on base, a three-run homer from Evan Mendoza blew the game open and gave OUAZ an early 4-0 advantage. The big swing sparked an offensive avalanche that La Sierra simply couldn't contain.
OUAZ struck again in the third inning, plating six runs to extend the lead to 11-0. The inning featured RBI contributions from Trevor Lesperance, Isaiah Nava, Mason Whitehead, and a two-run double from Mendoza, who continued his huge day at the plate.
The offense kept piling it on in the fifth with four more runs. Rolen Driscoll drove in a run with a double down the line, and RBIs from Joel Esparza, Lesperance, and Matthew Carter pushed the Spirit lead to 15-0.
OUAZ added two more in the sixth to cap the scoring at 17 runs on 16 hits. Mendoza led the charge offensively, finishing 3-for-3 with a home run, double, three runs scored, and five RBIs in a monster performance. Knutson also had a perfect day at the plate, going 3-for-3 and scoring three runs, while Whitehead and Carter added two hits apiece.
On the mound, Austin Humphres delivered another strong outing to improve to 5-1 on the season. The right-hander threw five shutout innings, allowing just three hits while striking out five. Brayden Marcum closed things out in relief as the Spirit secured the run-rule victory.
Game 2 — OUAZ 6, La Sierra 5
The second game proved to be a much tighter battle, but the Spirit once again found a way to come out on top.
OUAZ struck first with single runs in the first and second innings to take an early 2-0 lead. La Sierra answered in the third with a three-run frame to move in front, but the Spirit refused to let the game slip away.
The turning point came in the fifth inning when OUAZ's offense delivered again. The Spirit pushed across three runs to reclaim the lead at 5-3, sparked by timely hitting from the heart of the lineup.
La Sierra fought back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie things up, setting up a tense finish. In the sixth inning, OUAZ delivered the decisive blow, pushing across what would become the game-winning run.
The Spirit bullpen shut the door from there, preserving the 6-5 victory.
Evan Mendoza and Camden Knutson each drove in runs in the win, while Rolen Driscoll added a double. On the mound, Tyler Johnson picked up the victory to move to 3-0 on the season after coming through in relief.
Up Next
The Spirit will continue GSAC play at home against Hope International on Friday, March 20th and Saturday, March 21st at 4:00 & 7:30 PM (MST).
