'Lopes Fall in Season Finale

Sunday, May 1

GCU

12:00 p.m.

Grand Canyon

21-26

CSU East Bay

18-32

Cal State East Bay

Grand Canyon

Colin Courtland homered in today's game.

Photo by: Roy Dabner

5/1/2011 3:43:26 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Mike McNally

The Grand Canyon University baseball team closed out the 2011 season today, losing 4-3, to Cal State East Bay at Brazell Stadium in Phoenix.

GCU finishes the season with a record of 21-26 overall, 14-11 at Brazell Stadium.

Cal State East Bay jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first on four hits off GCU starting pitcher Colin Courtland (3-4).

GCU got on the scoreboard, cutting the lead to 3-1 in the fourth inning. Tyler Bair led off the frame with a double and would later score on a sacrifice fly from Joe Jacobson. For Bair, it was his 52^nd-career double, placing him in a tie for fifth on the school’s all-time doubles list.

After falling behind 4-1, the ‘Lopes would close the gap once again, scoring two runs in the seventh. Courtland led off the inning by hitting his third home run of the season. He finishes his GCU career with 15 home runs. R.J. Etchebarren drove home Mike Kenneth for the second run in the inning.

GCU wasn’t able to get any closer, as two Pioneer relievers set down the ‘Lopes offense in order in the eighth and ninth innings.

Courtland settled down after a rough first inning, retiring 12 of the final 14 batters he faced. He finished the game with seven strikeouts over 5.1 innings.

Justin McKee and William Armijo also saw action in their final games with GCU. McKee allowed a run on two hits over 2.0 innings. Armijo pitched a scoreless ninth.

Grand Canyon’s senior class of Armijo, Bair, Courtland, Etchebarren, Jacobson, McKee and Danne Quiroz were honored prior to the game. Each player was escorted to home plate by their family members and were presented with their home game jersey by interim head coach Ryan Bethel.

CSUEB 4 GCU 3