Bats stay hot in Friday night win

Friday, March 15

Phoenix, Ariz.

6:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

8-10

Xavier

6-10

Xavier

Grand Canyon

3/15/2019 8:03:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

3 Lopes record 3-hit nights

By: Nathan Okonek

Junior outfielder Kona Quiggle hit his third home run of the season while driving in four runs as the Grand Canyon baseball team defeated Xavier 7-2 on Friday evening at GCU Ballpark.

Freshman pitcher Pierson Ohl earned his second win of the season, going a season-high 6 1/3 innings while striking out four.

"I liked the job Pierson (Ohl) did," Lopes head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "He gave up a few solo home runs and that happens, but he's a guy that came in and did a really good job tonight controlling the strike zone."

Xavier (6-10) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with a solo shot, but the Lopes responded by putting up four runs in the bottom half, highlighted by a Pikai Winchester RBI double and a Quiggle three-run home run.

"I felt good today," Quiggle said. "Our coaching staff and I have been working on seeing left-handed pitching, not closing off and seeing the ball. I was just looking for something to drive over the middle of the plate."

And drive it, he did on a home run ball to straightaway center field, over the elevated outfield wall at Brazell Field.

The Lopes added an insurance run in the sixth when Quiggle recorded his fourth RBI of the night with a triple down the right field line, scoring Winchester. GCU scored again in the seventh when Winchester singled up the middle to score senior outfielder Preston Pavlica.

"I think we're all starting to loosen up a bit," Quiggle said. "We were pressing a lot and trying to make things bigger than they were. Relax, feed off each other and have fun. Once one guy starts hitting, everyone starts hitting."

GCU had five players with multi-hit games, as the Lopes collected 13 hits including five that went for extra bases. Senior third baseman Tyler Wyatt, Winchester and Quiggle each had three hits.

"I think we're doing a much better job using the middle of the diamond," Stankiewicz said. "We have to be able to stay up the middle of the field, get good ball flight and stay with our plan. When we try to pull the ball or hook balls, it just pulls us off the baseball."

The Lopes' bullpen of Cole Hoskins, Zach Barnes and Coen Wynne combined for 2 2/3 innings of relief while allowing zero runs on two hits.

"Our pitching staff did a great job tonight," Stankiewicz said. "We threw strikes and played really good defense and that's what we've done the last two nights and that's what we have to do tomorrow."

GCU improves to 8-10 on the season and look to take the series tomorrow afternoon as the Lopes wrap up the four game series with the Musketeers at 2 p.m.