GCU's late rally falls one run shy

Sunday, February 19

Phoenix, Ariz.

6:00 p.m.

Grand Canyon

1-1

Oklahoma State

1-1

Oklahoma State

Grand Canyon

2/19/2017 10:13:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Josh Hauser

PHOENIX - A furious late-game rally fell just short for the Grand Canyon baseball team, who dropped Sunday's Game 2 to No. 22 Oklahoma State by a final score of 6-5. The Lopes nearly overcame a 6-0 deficit, but the Cowboys staved off GCU to even up the series at one game each side.

"We got down a little bit but I liked the competitiveness and the fight late," head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "We put some better at bats together. We gave ourselves a shot and made it exciting in the end. We fell short, but I saw some good things that I think we can build on."

Oklahoma State starter Jensen Elliott tossed 6.1 innings of scoreless, three-hit baseball, striking out seven.

"Their starter (Jensen Elliott) was good," Stankiewicz said. "He did a nice job of sinking the ball with a nice little slider. He was tough."

In his first start in a GCU uniform, Degan Harte battled with Elliott every step of the way. The right-hander threw six innings, allowing just five hits and two runs. He racked up seven strikeouts in the process.

"Degan kind of scrapped and kicked and clawed his way through," Stankiewicz said. "He was really competitive, and he kept us in it. We have to get the bullpen guys to tighten up and keep us in it, and they will. We're all going to improve. That's a good team in the other dugout, a ball club that was in Omaha last year."

After the Cowboys scored three runs in the eighth inning to go up 6-0, Grand Canyon began its rally. Josh Meyer and Kona Quiggle led off the home half of the eighth inning with consecutive singles. A two-RBI single by Ian Evans plus an error on the play netted three runs for the Lopes. Zach Malis drove in GCU's fourth run of the inning on a single to score Evans.

One frame later, GCU immediately got back to work with a leadoff single by Greg Saenz, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh. Cuba Bess was called upon as a pinch hitter for his first collegiate at bat, and he took full advantage by doubling to the right-center field wall. Bess' hit scored a run and pulled Grand Canyon within one run at 6-5 with still nobody out in the inning.

Things took a turn for the worse on what appeared to be a wild pitch. The Cowboys' catcher, Travis Wacker, recovered from a pitch that he misread to knock down the ball and throw to third in time to retire the runner and clear the bases.

Second baseman Andrew Rosa did much of the damage for the visitors, hitting two doubles down the left field line and driving in a pair of runs. Ryan Sluder also tallied a pair of RBIs, while Wacker hit the first home run of the series for either club.

"We'll come back tomorrow with a chance to win a series," Stankiewicz concluded.

The rubber match is scheduled for 1 p.m. MST on Monday and will air on GCU.tv.