The Grand Canyon University baseball team split a critical PacWest doubleheader with Academy of Art today at Laney Field in Oakland, Calif. The ‘Lopes took the first game, 7-2, but fell in the crucial second game, 2-1.
The split brings the Antelopes’ overall record to 19-19 and 14-12 in the PacWest. They are now four games out of first place with only six conference games remaining this season.
Brady Wager (5-4) tossed a nine-inning complete in the opener, allowing two runs on seven hits. He fanned a season-high 11 batters.
GCU fell behind 2-0 after five innings, but used a three-run sixth inning to take the lead.
Ernesto Ortiz, who finished the game with four hits, had a bases loaded single in the sixth to get the ‘Lopes on the scoreboard. GCU tied the game when
Tyler Bair scored on a wild pitch and took the lead on sacrifice fly by
Jackie Samora.
After scoring a run in the seventh to go up 4-2, the Antelopes put the game out of reach with a three-run eighth. Ortiz led off the inning with a double and scored on Samora’s RBI single.
Colin Courtland tripled to score Samora and scored on
Gavin Tucker’s sacrifice fly.
Pitching dominated the second game of the doubleheader.
Cody Repenning (4-2) was the tough-luck loser, despite allowing only two runs (one earned) on eight hits over 6.0 innings. It was his fourth complete game this season.
The high powered Antelope offense, entering the game ranked seventh in D-II, was held to only seven hits in the game.
After falling behind 1-0, GCU was able to tie the game in the fifth on a RBI single by Bristyan.
The Urban Knights responded in the bottom of the inning, scoring the game-winning run on James Singzon’s RBI double.
GCU rallied to place runners in scoring position in the sixth and seventh innings, but failed to get the tying run across the plate. They left nine runners on base in the game.
The club’s will meet again tomorrow at Laney Field for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.