For the second-straight day, the Grand Canyon University baseball team swept Academy of Art in a doubleheader, today winning 20-3 and 4-0, at Laney College in Oakland, Calif.
The sweep improved the Antelopes’ overall record to 24-20, 21-15 in the Pacific West Conference. It also marks the first time this season that GCU has moved four games over .500. Art U falls to 3-35, 3-25 in the league.
The Antelopes left little in doubt in the opener today scoring 20 runs on 20 hits, highlighted by eight runs in the fifth inning and seven in the sixth inning.
Harlyn Griffiths led the ‘Lopes with a career-best 4-for-5 performance that included three RBI and two runs scored.
Ernesto Ortiz had a season-best 4-for-6 night with two runs and two RBI.
GCU scored two runs in the first on sacrifice flies by
Derek Mendoza and
P.J. Garcia. Mendoza finished the game with two hits and two RBI, his team-best 23
rd multi-hit game of the season and 10
th multi-RBI game of the year.
The ‘Lopes batted around in the fifth inning and scored eight runs on seven hits. Grand Canyon increased their lead to 19-1 in the sixth inning with a seven-run five-hit rally, highlighted by senior
Tanner Hoechlin’s two-run double.
Joey Bristyan provided a spark at the top of the lineup with a hit, three walks and four runs scored.
Justin Lindsey ran his record to 7-4, allowing three runs (one earned) on seven hits over 7.0 innings.
Cody Repenning pitched 2.0 scoreless frames out of the bullpen.
The second game followed the script of Thursday night’s games with the ‘Lopes using a solid pitching performance to blank the Urban Knights, 4-0.
Jorge Perez (2-3) tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing only four hits over 7.0 innings. Perez fanned eight, while walking none. The eight strikeouts matched his career high, also done on March 1 at Hawai’i Hilo.
Charles Wagner got GCU on the board with a RBI single in the second inning. One batter later,
Jackie Samora recorded a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-0.
Garcia led the Antelopes with two hits in the second game, including a RBI single in the third to increase the advantage to 3-0. Griffiths capped his stellar evening with a RBI double to close out the scoring.
Grand Canyon will continue their road swing that will close out the 2012 season with a four-game set in St. George, Utah against Dixie State beginning on April 26. GCU currently trails Dixie State by two games in the battle for second place in the PacWest.
GCU 20 ART 3
GCU 4 ART 0