Evans posts three-hit game in loss to No. 7 Arizona

Tuesday, April 11

Phoenix, Ariz.

7:00 p.m.

Grand Canyon

14-18

Arizona

24-8

Arizona

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Michael Rincon

4/11/2017 11:10:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Alex Nash

PHOENIX – The Grand Canyon baseball team fell to No. 7 University of Arizona for the second time this season, losing 7-3 on Tuesday night at Brazell Stadium. The Lopes were done in by errors, wild pitches and passed balls, and the Wildcats pitchers held the Lopes to three runs on eight hits.

Head coach Andy Stankiewicz stated, "Too many passed balls, plays like that. It was just a sloppy game defensively from our part. When you do that against a team like University of Arizona, you're going to find yourself in a tough spot. We were chasing a bunch off the plate. We put ourselves in a tough spots."

Ian Evans was a bright spot on the night, going 3-for-3 with a double and a walk. Evans, when asked about his night and how he was seeing the ball, said, "Pretty good actually, the last couple of weeks I had been struggling but if you put the ball in play good things will happen. I felt like I was seeing the ball well."

The Wildcats got the scoring started in the third inning when JJ Matijevic hit a single in the gap to score Alfonso Rivas. Jared Oliva came across to score on a wild pitch, putting Arizona up 2-0. They added on in the fourth inning, scoring on a fielder's choice and a double steal, increasing the lead to 4-0.

The Lopes didn't sit back, however, as they answered in the bottom of the inning. Tyler Wyatt launched a single to right field allowing Evans to score. Wyatt would cross the plate himself a batter later on a wild pitch from Wildcat pitcher, Seve Romo.

Arizona increased its lead in the sixth when a double scored a run, making it 5-2. The 'Cats piled on in the seventh as Nick Quintana doubled in a run and later scored on a wild pitch.

Cuba Bess sparked some late life for the Lopes when he hit a two-out single to score Greg Saenz, getting the game to its final tally of 7-3.

On another mid-week bullpen day, Grand Canyon used eight pitchers to get through the contest. Josh Andrews, Bobby Milacki and Mick Vorhof pitched the final 2.2 innings scoreless.

The Lopes will get back to WAC play on Thursday as they travel to Chicago to take on the Chicago State Cougars.

"We have to keep it going," Stankiewicz said. "We have to play good baseball. It's usually tough weather conditions there and they've always played us really, really tough. We have to get right after it from Pitch 1 on Thursday. We have to be ready to go."

GCU took the series against the Cougars last season going 2-1 at home. GCU falls to 14-18 on the year but looks to build upon its 8-1 WAC record in the three-game road series. First pitch on Thursday is set for 4 p.m. MST.