Lopes shut out Lancers

Friday, March 22

Phoenix, Ariz.

6:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

11-10, 1-0

California Baptist

14-8, 0-1

California Baptist

Grand Canyon

Photo by: David Cohen

3/22/2019 9:19:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Strong pitching, clutch hitting earns 1st WAC win

By: Mark Oshidari

The Grand Canyon baseball team opened WAC play with a 3-0 shutout over California Baptist on Friday night at GCU Ballpark.

Junior Kade Mechals (5-1) hurled the first six shutout frames for the Lopes (11-10, 1-0 WAC), allowing just two hits while striking out six.

"Mechals was great and it all starts on the mound on a Friday night," GCU head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "California Baptist is a good team and Kade did a great job minimizing innings for them, fighting and keeping us out of trouble."

Lopes sophomore Coen Wynne tossed a pair of scoreless innings, while senior Nick Ohanian pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his third save of the season.

"Coen has been pitching well and he's been attacking with his fastball and he's developed a good change-up," GCU pitching coach Rich Dorman said. "He's more confident in his stuff and he is growing up. Nick has been really consistent with his slider, hitting his spots with his fastball and that will be the key for him moving forward."

Offensively, senior second baseman Austin Bull had the big hit with a two-out, two-run double to get the Lopes on the board first. Sophomore catcher David Avitia was on base three times and went 2 for 3 with a double and a run. Junior outfielder Quin Cotton also had a multi-hit game, going 2 for 5 with an RBI.

After GCU stranded four runners on base in the first two innings, Bull came through in the GCU third with a two-out double to the left-field corner, putting the Lopes ahead 2-0.

"Austin had a big two-run double down the line," Stankiewicz said. "It's those one or two clutch hits that become the difference-maker in the game and that's what it was for us tonight."

With one out in the fourth, Cotton doubled to right-center for an RBI and the 3-0 lead. The hit ended the night for CBU starter Travis Booth (2-2).

Wynne entered in the seventh and gave up a leadoff hit, but a double play kept CBU (14-8, 0-1 WAC) off the board. With two more scoreless frames, Wynne has not allowed a run this season in 14 1/3 innings of work.

Ohanian did not let a ball out of the infield with a ground out, strikeout and foul out to end the game.

"We know we have a tough road in front of us and we just need to continue to keep grinding, pitching well and put together good at bats," Stankiewicz said. "It was certainly a good start tonight. Every pitch is big. Every at bat is big. Every play becomes big. The guys did a great job tonight holding down the fort."

The GCU-CBU series resumes with the second game at 6 p.m. Saturday at GCU Ballpark.