GCU falls in finale to No. 19 Houston

Sunday, March 20

Houston, Texas

11 A.M.

Grand Canyon

10-10

Houston

13-6

Grand Canyon

Houston

3/20/2016 1:40:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Josh Hauser

HOUSTON - Despite holding a 1-0 lead through two innings, the Grand Canyon baseball team dropped the series finale to No. 19 Houston 5-1. The Lopes were swept in a series for the first time since the last time they met a ranked team on the road, falling to No. 23 Oklahoma State on March 14-15, 2015.

GCU starter Jake Repavich limited Houston to one hit over the first 3.1 innings of work, but the Cougars tagged Repavich for three runs and seven hits over the left-hander's 5.2 innings. Sunday's game marked the first time the Lopes lost a game that Repavich started, falling to 4-1 in such contests.

After combining to record just three hits in two games on Saturday, the Lopes logged five hits in the first three innings in Sunday's finale. Grand Canyon used three hits in the second inning alone to scratch across the game's first run. Matt Haggerty - who singled earlier in the inning - attempted to score from second base on a single by Ben Mauseth but was thrown out at home plate. Griffin Barnes ensured GCU would not leave the inning empty handed, singling to center field to score Mauseth.

Houston claimed the lead on a two-run home run by first baseman Joe Davis. Davis poked the ball into right field and, with a little help from the swirling winds in Houston, had his ball clear the right-field wall.

The Cougars extended their lead with a single tally in the sixth and a pair of runs in the seventh. Repavich allowed a pair of singles to open the sixth inning, giving way for an RBI groundout to grant Houston a 3-1 lead. Mick Vorhof pitched the seventh frame, with Houston once again opening with back-to-back singles. The Cougars scored a pair of runs in the frame as the Lopes were plagued by three errors.

Grand Canyon was limited to just one hit over the final six innings.

Looking to snap a five-game skid, Grand Canyon will meet the UNLV Rebels in Las Vegas, Nev. on Tuesday. The teams split a pair of matchups in 2015 with each squad defending its home turf. First pitch is set for 3:05 p.m. PT at Wilson Stadium.