Gomez, McKigney homer, but LSUA swept in double header

The LSUA baseball team dropped a pair of games to ACU, 12-8 on a walk-off grand slam, and 9-4, on Tuesday evening at Canyon View High School.

LSUA (3-5) looked like it was going to win the first three games of the series, but ACU scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth in game one on Tuesday, including a walk-off grand slam by Alec Ortiz. All six runs were scored before the first out was recorded.

“We should have come out with a split today,” LSUA Baseball Coach Steven Adams Jr. said. “Our young bullpen showed up and couldn’t close the door. We gave up too many free passes and hit batters. We made mistakes in both games. We are going to continue to learn through these experiences.”

In the night cap, the Firestorm scored seven runs in the second inning to turn a deficit into a runaway win.

ACU (13-8) snapped a four-game losing streak with the sweep. It is the third time in the series the team that scored first lost the contest.

After a day off on Wednesday, the teams resume with double headers on Thursday and Friday in Phoenix.

It was a back-and-forth contest with ACU scoring four runs in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead. The first five batters reached, with D’Marcus Guillory and Randen Garrison collecting RBI singles to take a 2-0 lead. The last two runs were scored via a walk and a hit by pitch.

As they did on Monday evening, the Generals came right back. LSUA came back with four runs in the third to tie the score, highlighted by a two-run triple by Alex Orenczuk.

ACU looked like it would put away the contest with single runs in the third and fourth, but Zack Larson came through with an RBI triple in the fifth and came in on an RBI groundout by Louis Morgan.

Larson recorded two hits on the evening, one of four Generals to record multi-hit performances.

Adrian Gomez, who was another General who collected two hits, registered a one-out single in the sixth, and came around to score without the benefit of another LSUA hit.

It looked as if the run was going to stand up, as the Generals led 8-6 going into the bottom of the ninth.

LSUA’s Cameron Daigle was cruising, throwing four innings and not facing more than three batters in any one inning. Daigle was ran into trouble in the ninth, allowing two singles, but both were eliminated on double plays. A walk, double and single ended his night, as he left with the Generals in front 8-7 with runners on the corners.

Kyler Carson came on in relief of Daigle and hit the first two batters to tie the score, setting the stage for Ortiz’s walk-off home run.

After going 5-for-9 on Monday, shortstop Jordan Ardoin continued his hot play into Tuesday, with two more hits and his second RBI of the season.

A seven-run inning by ACU in the second did in LSUA in game two.

The Generals began the game well, as Adrian Gomez belted a two-run home run over the right-center field fence to give the visitors an early 2-0 lead. It was his first homer since 2019 against Wiley.

Jesus Miranda blasted a solo shot in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit in half before the big second inning. Other than the Miranda home run, LSUA starter Rene Solis had a productive first inning.

He ran into early trouble in the second, though, as the first three batters reached base, including the first two walking. In the inning, 12 players batted and four players earned hits and four players walked. After hitting the home run in the first, Miranda added a two-run double in the second. For the game, he went 2-for-4 with the homer and three RBI.

ACU scored a run without the benefit of a hit in the third inning and LSUA’s Keith McKigney clobbered his first career home run, a two-run shot, to close out the scoring.