Irvine, Calif.-- OUAZ Baseball opened postseason play on Monday at the GSAC Tournament, competing as the No. 2 seed at the OC Great Park. The Spirit dropped their opener to No. 3 Arizona Christian, 6-2, before falling to No. 4 Benedictine Mesa, 10-1, in an elimination game.
In game one, OUAZ recorded nine hits but was limited to two runs, both coming in the ninth inning. Matthew Carter led the offense with three hits and drove in both runs on a double in the final frame. On the mound, Austin Humphres delivered a strong outing, allowing two runs (one earned) over seven innings while striking out seven. Arizona Christian added runs late to secure the win.
In the elimination game, the Spirit took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI single from Joel Esparza. Benedictine Mesa answered in the middle innings, using a five-run fifth to take control before adding three more in the eighth. OUAZ was held to four hits, with Esparza collecting two, in the 10-1 final.
OUAZ closes the GSAC Tournament with a 36-16 overall record and will now await a to see if the selection committe awards them with an at-large selection to the NAIA National Tournament.
