GCU allows 5-run 7th, falls in opener

Friday, March 16

Fullerton, Calif.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

6-10

Cal State Fullerton

5-10

Grand Canyon

Cal State Fullerton

Photo by: David Cohen

3/16/2018 7:57:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Evans posts three-hit game

By: Josh Hauser

FULLERTON, Calif. - Grand Canyon surrendered five runs in a costly seventh inning and fell to Cal State Fullerton 7-3 on Friday night at Goodwin Field. The GCU offense showed signs of life late, putting together a three-run, five-hit eighth inning and narrowing the deficit. The Titans' five-run outburst, however, was enough to get the job done.

"[Colton] Eastman is good. He's really good," head coach Andy Stankiewicz said of the Titans' starting pitcher. "It's a very good program that we faced, and we've got to get better. We knew coming in that it was going to be a challenge."

Generating offense proved to be a challenge off Eastman. The Lopes did strike for three runs once Fullerton turned to its bullpen.

Ian Evans followed up his four-hit performance on Wednesday with a three-hit game on Friday night. Preston Pavlica posted two hits on the night as well.

"It was good to see Pavlica," Stankiewicz said. "He's got to commit to good contact because he's a good runner. He puts the ball on the ground and he's got a chance to get on base. Line drives to the middle work."

The Titans tallied runs in the third and sixth innings to take a 2-0 lead. GCU had a good look to tie things up the following inning.

In the seventh, Evans led off the frame with a single to left field and Brock Burton drew a walk. Sensing trouble, the Titans called a meeting at the mound. Something clicked for Cal State Fullerton, as GCU was retired in order following the mound visit. Zach Malis put a good swing on a ball to left field that had the potential to score two runs and tie the score, but the Titans' left fielder made a backwards snag to keep GCU off the board.

The momentum shifted the way of the Titans after they kept GCU scoreless. In the home-half of the seventh, Cal State Fullerton struck for five runs on five hits to go up 7-0.

"Good defensive teams keep the ball in front of them," Stankiewicz said. "We had the balls that went to the backstop. We have to understand that you've got to keep the ball in front of you."

After come-from-behind efforts in its last three games, GCU mounted a late-game rally again on Friday. Pavlica doubled down the left field line to start the inning and scored on an RBI single from Quin Cotton. Evans, Burton and Tyler Wyatt strung together three consecutive two-out singles to push across two more runs. The Titans made a pitching change and finally put a stop to the rally.

Jake Wong had to grind his way through his start, but still managed to limit the Fullerton to two runs over 5.1 innings of work while also striking out six.

GCU and Cal State Fullerton will play Game 2 of the three-game series on Saturday night at Goodwin Field. The game will get underway at 6 p.m. MST with Mike Lundin (1-2, 4.76) scheduled to face Titans' right-hander Andrew Quezada (0-2, 6.00).