Surprise, Ariz.-- OUAZ Baseball delivered a strong performance on Senior Night, defeating GSAC rival Arizona Christian 7-3 at Surprise Stadium to secure a 3-1 series win. With the victory, the Spirit improve to 27-13 overall and 13-7 in conference play.
The Spirit wasted no time setting the tone, erupting for five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Camden Knutson opened the scoring with an RBI groundout before Evan Mendoza followed with an RBI double. Rolen Driscoll added an RBI single, and Trevor Lesperance brought in another run on a sacrifice fly. OUAZ capped off the big inning when Chaz Clemons reached on an error, allowing Rolando Ramos Jr. to score and extend the lead to 5-0.
OUAZ added to its advantage in the third inning, as Ramos Jr. stole home during a double steal to make it 6-0. Arizona Christian chipped away with runs in the fourth and fifth innings, including a solo home run, but the Spirit maintained control throughout.
The Firestorm threatened again in the eighth, trimming the deficit to 6-3, but OUAZ responded in the bottom half, capitalizing on a passed ball to plate an insurance run and push the lead to 7-3.
On the mound, Austin Humphres turned in a strong outing, earning the win after tossing 6.1 innings while allowing two runs and striking out seven. The bullpen combination of William Fife, Tyler Johnson, and Baley Viscardi held off the Firestorm late, with Viscardi closing out the game to earn the save.
Offensively, OUAZ made the most of its opportunities, scoring seven runs on six hits while taking advantage of four Arizona Christian errors. Mendoza, Driscoll, and Carter each contributed key hits, while Ramos Jr. made an impact on the basepaths with multiple stolen bases, including a steal of home.
The Spirit will look to carry their momentum into their next matchup as they return to KC Royals Field 6 to take on Justice University on Wednesday, April 1st at 6:00 p.m.
