IRVINE, Calif. – Hope International pounded out 15 hits to spark a potent offensive attack and downed Arizona Christian 12-4 on Tuesday at the GSAC Baseball Championship inside the OC Great Park Stadium.
David Shackelford, Spencer Davis and Royce Clayton all had three hits to pace the offense. Shackelford finished 3-for-6 with three runs scored and a pair of RBI to support Franky Lopez, who tossed 5.2 innings of relief to earn the win.Â
Lopez allowed just five hits and one run, walking none and striking out eight to improve to 6-3.
The Royals led 2-1 heading into the fourth inning, and scored five runs off Firestorm starter Frank Wierman. Three straight singles plated the first run, as Shackelford's base hit brought in Davis. With the bases loaded, Hunter Essang's bunt was fielded by Wierman, but his throw to first went into right field as all three runners scored to up the lead to 6-1. Essang, who went all the way to third on the play, then scored on a wild pitch for a 7-1 lead.
Clayton slammed his team-high tying seventh home run of the season in the fifth, while David Allen and Davis had run-scoring singles in the sixth.
HIU scored twice in the ninth with Shackelford posting an RBI double and later scoring on a wild pitch.
The Firestorm chased HIU starter and national ERA leader Jake Thrift from the game after 3.1 innings. The left-hander walked four and allowed four hits and three runs. Joey Genduso and Marcellus Cueva had run-scoring hits in the fourth, and with a pair of runners aboard, Lopez got the final two outs to escape the inning.
ACU scored a run in the sixth on three hits, but Lopez was effective for the majority of his stint.
HIU (36-13) advanced to Wednesday's championship game at noon against fourth-seeded Benedictine Mesa. The Royals need to win just once to earn the tournament title. A loss in the double elimination tournament would necessitate a second championship game at 4:00 p.m.
