May 28, 2024

GAME NOTES/HIGHLIGHTS 

No. 4 Hope International (Calif.) (43-16) defeats No. 9 Arizona Christian (38-21), 8-1

• Today’s elimination game is the fourth time HIU and ACU have played each other, as the two schools are mainstays of the Golden State Athletic Conference
• Hope International won the season series, where they were the home team in March, 2-1 winning 8-4 and 4-0 and losing 2-5
• The Royals kicked off the day in the top of the first inning as JJ Cruz doubled down the right field line scoring Alex Moreno and David Rivera
• In the bottom of the second, ACU had a chance to tie the game but they stranded both runners on the bases
• In the top of the fourth, Hope International scored again on a RBI walk by Alec Arnone followed by a failed pickoff attempt unloading the bases for a 6-0 advantage
• ACU scored in the bottom of the seventh, on an RBI groundout from Jaylen Edmonds
• In the top of the eighth, Ryan Maciel scored on a wild pitch before Rivera doubled down the left line to score Ryan Lamastra
• Rivera and Moreno were each 2-4 with a total of one RBI and three runs scored for the Royals; ACU was led by Matthew Beckworth going 3-4
• On the hill, Justin Drury (W, 10-0) tossed eight innings, striking out three and allowing one run before Steven Ordorica pitched the final three outs
• Eli Elliott (L, 8-5) allowed three earned in four innings pitched for the Firestorm
• This marks the second straight year that the GSAC has put a team into the Semifinal Round since 2010-2011 when former members Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) and Concordia (Calif.)

No. 6 Tennessee Wesleyan (42-18) defeats No. 1 Southeastern (Fla.) (52-8), 8-6

• Tennessee Wesleyan and Southeastern are two of the three teams left in the field who have won Red Banners – each having two
• Alfonso Villalobos hit an RBI groundout which scored Cristopher Munoz in the bottom of the first
• Tennessee Wesleyan tied it up in the bottom of the second, when Daniel Stewart hit an RBI groundout to second base
• Southeastern regained the lead on Villalobos’ single to left field
• Evan Magill doubled to left center field in the bottom of the inning, which tied the ballgame at 2-2
• In the bottom of the fifth, TWU scored off an RBI drawn walk and a sacrifice bunt plating another run
• During the next inning, the Bulldogs scored two more off Magill’s single through the left side, bringing it to a 6-2 lead
• In the top of the seventh inning, Munoz doubled off the left field wall, scoring Brandon Mondragon from first base and making it a 6-3 score
• Then, SEU closed it to a two run game, as Munoz scored on a throwing error by the Bulldogs
• Later in the same inning, Southeastern tied the game at 6-6, on Gary Lora’s single through the left side, scoring Isaac Nunez and Villalobos
• TWU broke the tie in the bottom of the seventh on a two RBI single from Jack Stevens
• Dante Leach, Magill, Stewart, and Stevens each went 2-4 in the contest for Tennessee Wesleyan
• Munoz led SEU with 3-5 hitting followed by Luis Gonzalez who went 2-3
• Julian Berinti (W, 2-1) threw 1.2 innings allowing no runs for TWU and Jake Sergent picked up his first save of the year by getting the final three outs
• Ramsey David (L, 6-2) was awarded the decision out of the bullpen, allowing the game winning runs in only one inning of work

No. 5 Reinhardt (Ga.) (44-16) defeats No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett (53-8) , 6-4

• The two teams played in the winners bracket, as the only two teams entering Tuesday without a loss
• Georgia Gwinnett scored in the top of the second, the first run of the game, on a throwing error by the defense
• The score remained unchanged until Dylan Lewis belted a two run blast to the left field bleachers, giving the Eagles a 2-1 edge
• The Grizzlies countered right back on a solo shot by Braxton Meguiar to right field
• In the bottom of the seventh, Luis Mendoza homered to left field to make it a 4-2 edge for the Eagles
• The next inning, Tucker Zdunich hit a sacrifice fly to left field which scored Jarrett Burney
• Another insurance run was tacked on by RU with Lewis’ single up the middle which scored Lance Dockery
• It was needed as two GGC runs were scored Off Henry Daniel’s right field single and a subsequent throwing error
• With one out punched and runners on second and third, Brett Allen finished the complete game with a strikeout looking and a fly out to right
• In total, Allen threw 151 pitches and struck out 11 Grizzly batters
• Tyler Clayton (L, 8-1) struck out eight and allowed five runs on seven hits in seven innings of work on the mound for Georgia Gwinnett
• Meguiar and Ajay Sczepkowski tallied four of the eight hits for the Grizzlies
• Mendoza and Lewis each were 3-2 with a combined three runs scored and five RBI