Lopes come up short in 12 innings

Friday, March 25

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 P.M.

Grand Canyon

12-11, 0

Utah Valley

12-12, 0

Utah Valley

Grand Canyon

3/26/2016 12:02:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Steven Gonzalez

PHOENIX – For the second straight night, Grand Canyon baseball went to extra innings against Utah Valley. In the longest game of the season at three hours and 56 minutes, the Lopes came up short in 12 innings, falling to the Wolverines 5-4.

"In the early going we had runners at third base with less than two outs and we couldn't put the ball in play," head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "You have to either move the runners up or get a runner home from third. I think we were 0-for-5 in those situations."

In Thursday night's series opener between UVU and GCU, a total of three runs were scored in nine innings but it was a different story on Friday night as three runs were scored in the first two innings. GCU jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when Greg Saenz singled down the right field line with two outs, scoring Austin Bull and Paul Panaccione.

Jake Repavich got in a groove early in the game, setting the tone for the game. Repavich set a career-high in strikeouts, fanning six batters, surpassing his previous high of five strikeouts. After just one run in the first five innings, Utah Valley was able to get to Repavich in the top of the sixth scoring two runs off a Ramsey Stone double to take the 3-2 lead.

The Lopes had their opportunities late in the game with scoring chances in the sixth and seventh inning, leaving three runners on base. Utah Valley added a run in the eighth to go into the ninth inning with a two-run lead. Danny Beddes came close to going the distance, pitching 8.0 innings, throwing 122 pitches with nine strikeouts.

"We were basically just waiting for Utah Valley to get back into the game," Stankiewicz said. "We gave them opportunities to get back in the game. That's what they did. I liked our fight at the end, we made it a game in the end. With the early opportunities in the game, it came back to bite us in the end."

The Lopes attempted a late comeback in the final inning, starting the ninth with the first two batters reaching base. Thomas Lerouge continued to come up clutch this season, with a single down the first base line, scoring Brick Paskiewicz while Preston Pavlica advanced to third base. With one out, Austin Bull singled up the middle to tie the game, sending it into extras for the second straight game.

GCU had the best opportunity to win the game in extra innings in the bottom of the 11th inning. With two runners on base, Bull singled to left field and GCU took the chance sending Paskiewicz home from second base but was thrown out at home to keep the game alive.

The Wolverines scored off a M Krueger single to center field, scoring J Erlandson that proved to be the difference maker in the game.

The Lopes and Utah Valley will close out the series on Saturday, March 26, at Brazell Stadium at 11 a.m.