Lopes drop series finale, split with Bulldogs

Sunday, February 21

Phoenix, Ariz.

12 P.M.

Grand Canyon

2-2

Gonzaga

2-2

Gonzaga

Grand Canyon

2/21/2016 12:46:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Josh Hauser

PHOENIX - The Grand Canyon baseball team fell to Gonzaga in the series finale, forcing a split in the four-game series with the Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon. Gonzaga starter Eli Morgan tossed eight innings for the Bulldogs, limiting the Lopes to three hits and two runs.

"It's always frustrating when you lose the last game of the series," head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "We just need to sustain better. They scored ten of their runs with two outs. We just need to make the right pitches, make the big play to get out of jams and get back in the dugout to hit."

In his first career appearance on the mound, freshman Tyler Wyatt surrendered two walks but used a pair of fly outs and a fantastic diving slide by first baseman Greg Saenz to keep the Bulldogs off the scoreboard in the opening frame. While the Bulldogs got a handful of runners on in the opening innings, Wyatt limited Gonzaga to 0-for-4 hitting with runners on base in the first two innings.

Gonzaga, however, broke through in the third inning. The Bulldogs sent all nine batters to the plate in back-to-back innings, using eight hits between the third and fourth innings to plate seven runs.

The Lopes came up empty through the first 12 plate appearances of the ballgame, as Morgan was perfect through four.

Snapping Morgan's tear through the GCU lineup, Brandon Smith opened up the fifth inning with a double off of the left field wall. Smith came across to score on an RBI groundout by Saenz. Paul Panaccione drew a walk to lead off the seventh inning, went to third on a double by Garrison Schwartz and scored Grand Canyon's second run of the day on a sacrifice fly by Smith.

After reaching double-digit hits through each of the first three games of the season, Grand Canyon was limited to just four hits in the finale. Schwartz was the lone batter in the Lopes' lineup to collect multiple hits in the game.

Eleven freshmen saw action for Grand Canyon at some point throughout the four-game series. Wyatt played in all four of the games, starting two at first base, pinch-hitting in Saturday's nightcap and starting on the mound on Sunday.

"We still have some growing up to do, and we knew that coming in with 14 freshmen," Stankiewicz said. "They're going to play. We're going to be patient and help them grow up. We expect a lot out of those guys. We played two good games, and we played two poor games. We have to be a little more consistent."

The Lopes' next action is the hosting of the GCU Classic, which will take place at Brazell Stadium on Thursday through Sunday. Grand Canyon hosts Central Michigan in the tournament opener on Thursday at 1 p.m. MT before hosting Tennessee and Saint Mary's over the course of the weekend. Friday night's game vs. Tennessee will be televised on Cox7 Arizona with the pregame show beginning at 6:30 p.m. MT.