Lopes edge Hornets in clash of WAC's top two pitchers

Friday, April 7

Sacramento, Calif.

6:00 p.m.

Grand Canyon

13-16, 7-0

Sacramento State

14-15, 2-5

Grand Canyon

Sacramento State

4/7/2017 10:07:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Josh Hauser

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Grand Canyon baseball team claimed the series opener against Sacramento State in a meeting between the top two pitchers in the Western Athletic Conference on Friday night. GCU scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning on a wild pitch, moments after a 54-minute rain delay halted the action. With the victory, the Lopes improved to 7-0, matching their best start to a conference schedule since 1999.

The game lived up to its billing as a classic pitcher's duel with the WAC's earned run average leaders both taking the hill for their respective squads. Jake Wong (4-1) emerged victorious while Justin Dillon (3-3) was handed the tough-luck loss. Wong threw 6.0 innings of five-hit, one-run ball before his night was ended due to the lengthy rain delay.

"It was a really good Friday night performance by both starting pitchers," head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "Jake Wong had a gutsy outing to get the win. AJ Franks and Mick Vorhof were outstanding out of the bullpen. We didn't get much from the offense, but any time you can get a win on a Friday night you will take it."

Grand Canyon was able to get to Dillon before he was completely settled in, grabbing a run in the second inning. Tyler Wyatt -- the conference's batting average leader in WAC games -- drew a one-out walk. On his heels, Zach Malis doubled to right field to put runners on the corners for Quin Cotton. The freshman singled to third base and picked up GCU's only RBI of the evening.

While Dillon settled into a groove and retired 14 consecutive Grand Canyon batters, Wong worked himself out of a few jams on the opposing side of things. Sacramento State left runners in scoring position on three occasions during Wong's tenure, as the right-hander came up big with a strikeout to end the second, a harmless ground ball to end the third and a fly out to center to end the fifth.

Sacramento State got its lone run of the ballgame on a solo home run by James Outman in the sixth inning. The ball was hit to the deepest part of the park in straightaway center, just sneaking past the outfield wall.

In the newly-tied contest, Grand Canyon opened the seventh inning with a bang. Garrison Schwartz drew a walk before back-to-back singles by Wyatt and Malis loaded up the baess with nobody out. In a great position to break open the game, rain instead prevailed and halted action for 54 minutes.

Surprisingly, Dillon returned to the mound following the delay, and he nearly got out of the jam unharmed following the delay. He coaxed a shallow fly ball and a strikeout before letting a wild pitch get away from him and allowing the go-ahead run to score.

The rain delay cut Wong's outing a little short, but Franks and Vorhof combined to close out the win for GCU. Franks threw 2.2 one-hit innings before giving way to Vorhof for the final out. Vorhof earned his third save of the season.

While GCU was held to just six hits on the evening, four of the hits came with runners on base as timely hitting proved to be key in the victory. Malis and Cotton posted the only multi-hit games of the contest for either side with two a piece.

The Lopes and Hornets return to John Smith Field tomorrow evening for the resumption of the three-game series. Jake Repavich (3-2, 3.89) will start for Grand Canyon, going up against Parker Brahms (3-3, 3.73) of Sacramento State. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. MST.