Schwartz homers in loss to Chicago State

Saturday, April 30

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 P.M.

Grand Canyon

20-20-1, 0

Chicago State

10-33, 0

Chicago State

Grand Canyon

4/30/2016 9:38:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Jake Hernandez

PHOENIX – The Grand Canyon baseball team fell 4-2 to Chicago State on Saturday night as the Cougars evened the series. GCU's record drops to 20-20-1 and 9-8 in WAC play. Garrison Schwartz's two-run homer in the eighth inning was not enough as a troubling fourth inning defensively caused problems for the Lopes.

"(Cameron) Brendel did a good job for us. He competed and gave us an opportunity to win," pitching coach Nathan Choate said. "Baseball is a team game and sometimes when a pitcher throws well, the defense doesn't get enough credit for their play. It's a team game. He gave us a chance and we came up short. We lost and we will try to come out tomorrow and get the W."

Brendel earned the tough-luck loss after tossing 8.0 innings, allowing four runs (none earned), while GCU's defense committed five errors. The senior yielded six hits with five strikeouts on the night.

"We made good contact early but it happened to be right to fielders," Choate said. "The guys did a good job of staying with their approaches early in the game, but once we got down 4-0, we were pressing."

The Cougars took the early lead and never looked back as they loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the fourth after a couple of Lopes' errors and a bunt single. A single by Sanford Hunt scored the first run of the game, giving the Cougars a 1-0 lead. The third Lopes' error of the inning scored two more runs, extending the Cougars' lead to 3-0. Chicago State added one last run in the inning on a fielder's choice as CSU took a 4-0 lead.

Hits were hard to come by for the Lopes against Cougars' starter Justin Wyant. In the fourth, Garrison Schwartz doubled to deep center field for the Lopes' first hit of the game, but GCU couldn't scratch across a run. It was not until the seventh, with Zach Malis ripping a single to left field, that the Lopes recorded their second hit of the night.

In the bottom of the eighth, a two-run shot by Garrison Schwartz to right field cut the Cougars' lead to 4-2. With the moon shot, the sophomore leads the team with five home runs and 26 RBIs on the season.

Tyler Wyatt will take the mound for the Lopes in Game 3. The right-hander owns a 1-3 record and 5.45 ERA heading into Sunday's contest. The Game 3 rubber match is set for Sunday at Brazell Stadium with first pitch coming at noon.