Lopes look like leaders in sweep

Sunday, April 8

Phoenix, Ariz.

12 p.m.

Grand Canyon

17-14, 8-1

Utah Valley

12-18, 4-5

Utah Valley

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Ralph Freso

4/8/2018 5:18:00 PM | Baseball, Paul Coro

Box Score

GCU sweeps Utah Valley to remain atop WAC

By: <a href="http://gculopes.com/index.aspx?path=coro">Paul Coro</a>

Grand Canyon is looking like a first-place team in every aspect.

The Lopes stayed atop the Western Athletic Conference with a weekend sweep of Utah Valley, finishing off the Wolverines with a 5-2 win Sunday for the Lopes' eighth consecutive win at GCU Ballpark.

For pitching, GCU senior Evan Evanko posted his best outing of the season Sunday to back up what previous starters Jake Wong and Jake Repavich did for a starting rotation weekend earned run average of 2.14.

For defense, the Lopes played an entire series without making an error for the first time this season.

For offense, GCU (17-14, 8-1) continued its turnaround from batting .259 in the first 21 games to hitting .355 in the past 10 games.

"That's a good team and it always has been," Lopes head coach Andy Stankiewicz said of UVU. "They're really disciplined so to get three against them, it says we're playing pretty well. Guys are putting together good at bats when we need to. All weekend, we stayed on it and got better at bats late."

The Lopes won for the fifth time in a six days for the first time since 2013 because Evanko allowed four hits and one run over six innings Sunday while striking out seven, matching Wong's and Repavich's strikeout tallies.

"It was as good as I've felt all year honestly," Evanko said.

Evanko had not started in two years until joining the rotation on March 25. The fifth-year senior lefthander increased his pitch count to 87 on Sunday, when he trailed 1-0 until the Lopes bats warmed up for four unanswered runs in the middle innings.

UVU (12-18, 4-5) had been averaging 8.7 runs in WAC games until GCU held them to two runs in each of the weekend wins. With the Lopes leading 2-1, the Wolverines left the bases loaded when Evanko struck out the last batter he faced.

"We think that's who he can be," Stankiewicz said. "Him and Jake (Repavich) didn't have great outings last weekend but the encouraging thing is they got back home, had some good bullpen sessions with (pitching) coach (Rich) Dorman, tightened up some delivery and it was a good result."

Lopes sophomore rightfielder Quin Cotton continued to spark the offense, getting at least three hits in a game for the sixth time this season. But GCU's batting order is showing more balance with junior leftfielder Tyler Wyatt and junior shortstop Marc Mumper each having two-hit performances Sunday.

Wyatt singled to center twice Sunday, tying the score in the fourth inning and contributing to a two-run sixth inning that put GCU ahead 4-1.

"Hitting's contagious," Wyatt said. "The more team at bats we can put together, the more we can push the line and move the line and keep getting to the next guy to pass it on and the better off we're going to be."

GCU's flawless defensive weekend improved the team fielding percentage to .980, which puts the Lopes in the nation's top 25 defensively. That glovework earns trust from the pitching staff, which largely controlled the strike zone with only eight walks in three games.

"It's so nice to know that the defense has been playing good because you're not afraid to pitch to contact," Evanko said. "You kind of want them to hit it early in the count so you can go deep into games with them making plays behind me."

GCU junior reliever Nick Ohanian struck out the side in the seventh inning and Lopes senior closer Mick Vorhof picked up his third save in six days. Vorhof allowed one hit with no walks in those three shutout appearances.

The Lopes have won 11 of their past 12 games at GCU Ballpark.

"Old Brazell is always going to have a special place in all of our hearts but this place is awesome," Wyatt said.

GCU will be back there Tuesday, when Arizona visits for a 6 p.m. game that will be televised on YurView (Cox Channel 4 in Phoenix).

"It's a great program," Stankiewicz said. "It's in-state. It's got the makeup to be a nice, exciting night. We're playing the University of Arizona, who is historically as good as anybody in the country. It's going to be an important game for us."

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.