GCU runs win streak to five with sweep of AAU

Saturday, April 10

AAU

10 AM

Grand Canyon

24-17, 14-9

Academy of Art

4-31, 2-21

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Grand Canyon	2	2	0	2	1	0	2	9	9	0
Academy of Art	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	4	8	2

Cody Repenning threw three no-hit innings of relief helping wrap up a doubleheader sweep of AAU Saturday.

GCU frosh Cody Repenning threw three no-hit innings and earned a save in the second game of a doubleheader sweep of AAU Saturday.

4/10/2010 8:57:51 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Canyon moves into second place tie in PWC

By: Steve Heath

MORAGA, Calif. – With a doubleheader sweep of Academy of Art, Grand Canyon University ran its win streak to five games, setting up a crucial Pacific West Conference series with league-leader Hawai’i Pacific at Brazell Stadium next weekend.

GCU (25-17, 15-9) beat AAU 9-4 and 7-1 at Louis Guisto Field Saturday and are tied for second with Dixie State in the PacWest. The ‘Lopes are four games out of first place as it readies to host HPU for a four-game series Friday and Saturday. Friday’s doubleheader begins at 3 p.m. and Saturday’s twinbill starts at 1 p.m.

Against AAU, GCU got solid pitching efforts from seniors Colin Courtland (Litchfield Park, Ariz./Millennium) and Mark Hardy (Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork) in the opener and junior Justin McKee (Scottsdale, Ariz./Coronado) and frosh Cody Repenning (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert) in the second game.

Repenning threw three no-hit innings of relief to save McKee’s third win of the season. Courtland improved to 4-4, while Hardy earned a team-best fourth save.

Junior Tyler Bair (Scottsdale, Ariz./Coronado) extended his team-best hitting streak to nine games and upped his batting average to .417 in the wins. Courtland got his club-best seventh home run in the second game.

GCU has won eight of 10 games.

In the opener, Jay Green (Scottsdale, Ariz./Coronado) had a first-inning, one-out single. He scored on a Bair double. Bair gave GCU a 2-0 lead when he came across on a single by freshman catcher Danny Bethea (San Diego, Calif./La Costa Canyon).

The Antelopes added a pair in the second to up the margin to 4-1. Sophomore shortstop P.J. Garcia (Phoenix, Ariz./Thunderbird) had a one-out single. He stole second base. Sophomore center fielder Joey Bristyan (Scottsdale, Ariz./Horizon) reached on a walk. Green followed with an RBI-single. Bristyan scored on a sacrifice fly by Bair. It was the first of four sacrifice flies in the game.

AAU tied the game, 4-4, but Canyon answered with two in the fourth, one in the fifth and two more in the seventh.

Green, Garcia and Bristyan all had sacrifice flies. Garcia added his second stolen base, while frosh Trevor Santor (Glendale, Ariz./Ironwood) had a pair of steals. Junior outfielder R.J. Etchebarren (Phoenix, Ariz./Paradise Valley) had two hits, a run scored and a stolen base. Green went 3-for-3.

In evening his record to 4-4, Courtland went five innings and struck out three along with scattering seven hits and two walks. Hardy fanned three in two innings and gave up one hit and one walk.

In game two, Courtland tied the game 1-1 with a fourth-inning solo homer.

In a three-run fifth inning, Bristyan walked and stole a base, then Green drew a walk before Bair’s two-run double. It gave him his 16^th double of the season. He also has a team-best 43 RBIs. Bethea, who went 3-for-4, knocked in Bair with a single.

The ’Lopes added two more in the sixth and one in the seventh.

McKee went four innings and struck out two, while giving up just one earned run, five hits and one walk. Repenning fanned three.

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score