Baseball Falls in Back-and-Forth Game at UTPA

Saturday, April 5

Edinburg, TX

4 p.m.

Grand Canyon

15-14, 5-3

Texas Pan American

13-20, 3-5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Grand Canyon	2	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	6	12	3
Texas-Pan American	2	0	0	2	2	1	0	0	X	7	9	1

Brian Kraft

4/5/2014 7:31:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Series finale slated for 11 a.m. (Arizona time) tomorrow

In a back-and-forth contest at Edinburg Baseball Stadium, the Grand Canyon University baseball team (15-14, 5-3 WAC) came out on the losing end of a 7-6 game to Texas-Pan American (13-20, 3-5 WAC) tonight in Edinburg, Tex.

Click here for Michael Potter's postgame interview with assistant coach Gregg Wallis.

GCU jumped out to an early lead in the first inning, which was answered by the Broncs in the bottom half of the inning. The Antelopes then staked a three-run lead in the next frame, but UTPA chipped away until taking the lead in the fifth. After the Lopes tied it at six in the following frame, the Broncs scored the go-ahead run and held GCU scoreless for the final three innings.

"We had our chances early to do some more damage," said head coach Andy Stankiewicz. "We jumped out quick but then kind of settled in."

Coley Bruns did not factor into the decision after allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts over 4.2 innings of work. Reliever Malcolm Purdy (1-2) was charged with the loss despite tossing 3.1 strong innings of relief, allowing just two hits and a run (unearned) with three strikeouts.

"Coley wasn't his typical self," added Stankiewicz. "We made some nice plays out in the field, but Coley was up a little bit and it didn't seem like he had it tonight. Malcolm did a great job. He kept us right in ballgame with some big pitches."

Offensively, the Lopes recorded their 11^th double-digit hitting game with 12, led by David Walker, Brian Kraft, and Paul Panaccione with two apiece. Kraft plated two runs, while Walker, Chad De La Guerra, and Humberto Aranda also had an RBI in the contest.

GCU got off to a quick start thanks to a one-out infield single by Panaccione followed by De La Guerra's double to right-centerfield. Kraft plated Panaccione with a single up the middle, while De La Guerra crossed home plate on a double off the bat of Aranda as the Lopes staked the early 2-0 lead in the first inning.

The Broncs responded by opening the bottom half of the frame with a single and double to put runners on second and third. Both came around to score as UTPA knotted the game at two before the inning was over.

GCU tacked on three more runs in the second inning after the first three batters reached via hits. Jon Kealoha doubled down the left field line, moved to third on Chris Lindmark's bunt single, and scored on Walker's bunt single. Walker came around to score on a sacrifice fly by De La Guerra, while Panaccione represented the third run of the frame on a single off the bat of Kraft, his second RBI of the contest.

UTPA pulled within a run after scoring twice in the fourth inning to make it a 5-4 GCU advantage. The Broncs threatened again in the bottom of the fifth and claimed their first lead of the contest after again scoring twice to make it 6-5.

Lindmark drew a walk to open the sixth inning and came around to score the tying run after a two-base error by the Broncs shortstop. Continuing with the game's trend, the Broncs plated a run in the bottom of the inning to once again reclaim the one-run lead at 7-6.

Broncs reliever Andrew Padron held GCU to just one hit over the next three frames to secure the win.

"We were in it, but we've got to understand that we have to play nine innings, and sometimes we forget that," Stankiewicz said. "In games like these, the little things become big things. They are a good ball club, they are well coached, and they are taking advantage of our mistakes."

The series concludes tomorrow at 11 a.m. (Arizona time). The game can be heard live on Independent Talk 1100 AM KFNX (online at www.1100kfnx.com or via the TuneIn Radio app on any smartphone).

UTPA 7, GCU 6