Lopes break tie with five-run ninth, claim opener

Friday, April 22

Grand Forks, N.D.

11 a.m.

Grand Canyon

17-18, 0

North Dakota

6-22, 0

Grand Canyon

North Dakota

4/22/2016 2:15:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Josh Hauser

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Trailing 4-2 entering the final third of the ballgame, the Grand Canyon offense scored seven runs on seven hits in the late stages to claim the series opener at North Dakota on Friday afternoon. The Lopes used a two-run seventh to tie the game and a five-run ninth to break the game open.

Freshman Austin Bull led the offensive charge with a three-hit game, his sixth game of the season with three or more hits. The second baseman also drove in three runs and stole three bases.

"You've just got to be ready to play the game, like Coach Stankiewicz says," Bull said after the game. "You come to the park and if you're in the lineup, you've got to be ready. Don't make it too big. It's the same baseball I've been playing for a long time. You've got to play how you play."

Bull's biggest hit of the day came on a two-out, two-RBI double to left-center field. The Fighting Hawks' outfielder made a diving attempt at the ball, but it was beyond his outstretched glove as two runs came across to tie the game at four. Bull also singled to left field to score a run as a part of GCU's five-run ninth.

"(UND starter Zach Muckenhirn's) fastball was his best pitch. You had to be able to hit his fastball," Bull said. "We weren't hitting it early, but in the end we did. That's what the game came down to."

After Grand Canyon starter Jake Repavich tossed the first 5.1 innings, Jake Wong came on and was fabulous out of the bullpen for GCU. After a 3.2-inning outing allowing just two baserunners, Wong picked up his first collegiate win.

"Jake Wong did a great job. He has a great arm," pitching coach Nathan Choate said. "He looked comfortable out there, he was aggressive and he was getting ahead in the count. He has a lot of family from up in this area. It was neat to see him get his first collegiate win."

Muckenhirn limited the Lopes to just two runs through six innings of work. In the seventh, however, Jared McDonald flared a ball into right field and Thomas Lerouge hit an infield single, giving way to Bull's game-tying double.

Grand Canyon used a little bit of everything to plate five runs in the ninth. After four singles, two stolen bases, a sacrifice fly and two UND errors, the Lopes put the game away.

The Lopes' 12-hit performance was highlighted by Bull's three hits, as well as Zach Malis and McDonald, who each had two.

Grand Canyon and North Dakota will resume the three-game series on Saturday with another 11 a.m. MST first pitch. The Lopes will start RHP Tyler Wyatt (0-3, 6.35 ERA) and will be opposed by RHP Brett DeGagne (1-5, 4.53 ERA). The game will air on the GCU Radio Network with the pregame show getting underway at 10:45 a.m. MST.