Saenz delivers game-winning hit in 12th inning

Thursday, May 18

Davis, Calif.

2:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

28-24

UC Davis

18-27

Grand Canyon

UC Davis

5/18/2017 6:56:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Josh Hauser

DAVIS, Calif. - Greg Saenz delivered a two-out go-ahead RBI single on two different occasions; the second one stuck as the Lopes topped UC Davis in 12 frames on Thursday afternoon. Grand Canyon improved to 6-1 in extra-inning games on the season with Josh Andrews picking up his first win of the season and Jeramy Smith his first save.

With two outs in the 10th inning and the go-ahead run in scoring position, Saenz singled to center field to put Grand Canyon in front 5-4. UC Davis matched GCU with a run in the bottom half, forcing the game to continue. In the 12th inning with runners on the corners, Saenz delivered again, singling up the middle and driving in the go-ahead run. The Aggies had no answer this time, as Smith worked around a leadoff walk to seal the victory.

"Greg Saenz -- two times with two strikes and two outs he comes up with RBIs to keep us in front," head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "He understands using the middle of the field, which allows him to stay on pitches. Great job by him today."

Saenz finished the game with four hits, tying a career-high for the junior last set against Texas-Pan American in April of 2015. It was the fourth consecutive game with multiple hits for the GCU designated hitter, who saw his average rise to .364 on the campaign.

With the game extending to 12.0 innings, GCU's bullpen was forced to throw 6.1 innings. It limited the Aggies to just two earned runs with a couple of career firsts for Andrews (win) and Smith (save).

"It was a great job out of the bullpen today," Stankiewicz said. "Every reliever made big pitches when they had to."

The Aggies got on the board first with one-run tallies in the first and third innings. After a pair of batters reached base on singles, a two-out error allowed an unearned run to score in the opening frame. Two innings later, back-to-back doubles plated UC Davis' second run of the contest. But a diving catch by rangy center fielder Preston Pavlica in the gap ended the inning and kept Grand Canyon within two runs.

With a three-run fifth inning, GCU jumped in front. To load up the bases, Saenz and Josh Meyer singled while Marc Mumper drew a walk. Austin Bull came up with the big hit in the inning, singling up the middle to score two runs and tie the game. Tom Lerouge picked up the go-ahead RBI with a groundout to the right side of the infield, allowing a run to score from third.

GCU added to its lead with one run in the eighth. After the first two batters of the frame were retired in order, Garrison Schwartz drew a two-out walk and scored from first base on a double from Pavlica.

The Lopes' two-run edge was short-lived however, as UC Davis scored two runs in the eighth to tie the score. A hit batsman, triple and single yielded two scores and a 4-4 tie.

The ninth inning was a whirlwind of emotion for both sides. In the top-half, GCU put runners on first and second with just one out before a double play ended the threat. The home-half of the ninth got off to an inauspicious start for Grand Canyon with a leadoff single, but Mick Vorhof stranded the winning run on second base to force extras.

The excitement continued into extra innings with both teams scoring one run in the 10th. Lerouge led off the frame with a single, stole second and came around to score on a clutch two-out single by Saenz to put Grand Canyon in front. The Lopes had the opportunity to end the game in the 10th, but the tying run scored on a dropped infield popup and sent the game to the 11th.

In the 12th, Lerouge again led off the inning with a single. The junior moved to second on a groundout, to third when Pavlica reached on an error, and scored on Saenz's game-winner. In the bottom half, Smith walked the first man he faced but promptly retired the next three batters for his first career save with Grand Canyon.

Lerouge wasted no time extending his hitting streak, doubling in the first inning to run his streak to 17 games on the season. He finished 3-for-6 on the afternoon, ballooning his average to .373 on the season.

Jake Repavich tossed 5.2 innings for Grand Canyon in the start, allowing five hits but just one earned run. He walked two and struck out two. Vorhof threw 2.1 innings and allowed just one unearned run to score.

The Lopes snapped a five-game losing streak in the all-time series to UC Davis, though the teams hadn't played each other since 2004.

Grand Canyon will send Jake Wong (5-2, 3.57) to the mound on Friday afternoon to face UC Davis scheduled starter Justin Mullins (3-3, 4.12). First pitch from Davis is once again set for 2:30 p.m. MST.