Behind timely power and late-inning execution, Benedictine University Mesa swept Arizona Christian in a pivotal GSAC doubleheader, earning a
10–7 win in Game 1 and a
12–7 victory in Game 2. Combined with
OUAZ's win over The Master's, the two victories secured Benedictine Mesa a spot in the
GSAC Conference Tournament.
Game 1: Benedictine Mesa 10, Arizona Christian 7
Arizona Christian opened the scoring in the top of the third when
Luke Zuromski crushed a three-run home run, giving the Firestorm an early 3–0 edge.
Benedictine Mesa responded in the fourth as
AJ Fernandez launched a two-run homer after a leadoff single, cutting the deficit to one. The Redhawks surged ahead in the sixth behind a
two-run home run from Ben Schnurman, taking a 4–3 lead.
ACU briefly regained momentum in the seventh, stringing together six hits and scoring four runs — highlighted by
two-run doubles from Marcellus Cueva and Gavin Murphy — to go up 7–4.
The Redhawks answered emphatically in the bottom of the eighth, erupting for
six runs. Schnurman delivered his
second home run of the game, while
Tyler Jackson followed with a three-run blast, swinging the lead decisively back to Mesa. Benedictine Mesa shut things down in the ninth to secure the 10–7 comeback win.
Game 2: Benedictine Mesa 12, Arizona Christian 7
Benedictine Mesa carried momentum into the nightcap, exploding for
six runs in the first inning. RBI hits from
Ben Schnurman, Oliver Davies, Jonas Dyas, and Javier Rochin, along with a sacrifice fly by
Tyler Jackson, gave the Redhawks an immediate cushion.
Arizona Christian chipped away with two runs in the second, but Mesa continued to apply pressure throughout the middle innings. RBI hits from
Jack Moore,
Oliver Davies, and
Anthony Setticasi pushed the Redhawk lead to 9–2.
The Firestorm made a strong push in the sixth as
Andrew Ivy launched a grand slam, closing the gap to three. Benedictine Mesa quickly answered in the bottom half of the inning, though, as
Jonas Dyas powered a two-run home run to restore momentum.
Arizona Christian added one more run in the seventh, but the Redhawks held firm to seal the
12–7 victory and complete the sweep.
