GCU secures 2,000th victory

Wednesday, May 1

Albuquerque, N.M. / Santa Ana Star Field

12 p.m.

Grand Canyon

25-19

New Mexico

20-24-1

Grand Canyon

New Mexico

Photo by: Ron Jenkins

5/1/2019 6:22:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Scalzo quiets New Mexico in relief for midweek split

By: Josh Hauser

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Grand Canyon hit a major milestone in the 67-year history of its baseball program on Wednesday.

With a 9-7 victory at New Mexico, the Lopes claimed their 2,000th victory.

"To be able to build on what Coach (Dave) Brazell and Coach (Gil) Stafford and Coach (Dave) Stapleton built is great," said GCU head coach Andy Stankiewicz, who has contributed the latest 241 victories. "To get to 2,000 wins is special for our coaching staff and special for our guys."

GCU's 2,000th victory came in its 3,403rd game all-time, making for an impressive .587 win percentage.

It took contributions from all over the Lopes lineup to secure the victory and earn a split of the midweek series with the Lobos. Seven GCU players picked up a hit and six checked in with RBIs.

A pair of Lopes freshmen proved key with first baseman Nick Hansen recording his first multi-hit game that included an RBI double. Catcher Dante DeNiro logged his first career hit and scored a pair of runs.

New Mexico's offense looked poised for another big day after a three-run home run put the Lobos up 5-3 in the third. But GCU countered with sophomore pitcher Frankie Scalzo, who stopped the Lobos offense in its tracks.

Scalzo tossed 3 2/3 innings and allowed just one base hit. New Mexico scored one unearned run off Scalzo, who picked up his third victory of the season.

"Just trust in my defense," Scalzo said. "My off-speed was working. Getting ahead in counts was big against this team. They like to be in leverage counts. Once you get strike one, it's going your way."

Scalzo used an efficient 50 pitches to navigate the Lopes from the fourth inning to the seventh with an assist to sophomore pitcher Coen Wynne, who recorded the final out of the seventh.

"I've been more locked in than when I was starting," Scalzo said. "You get the call from Dor (pitching coach Rich Dorman) and go out there and do your job."

GCU's offense went to work early, putting single tallies on the scoreboard in the first three innings for a 3-1 lead. After free passes loaded the bases in the first, senior center fielder Preston Pavlica legged out an infield single to score a run. Junior left fielder Kona Quiggle picked up his 55th RBI of the season with a hit to score DeNiro in the second. Sophomore designated hitter Cuba Bess hit his team-leading 10th home run to give GCU its third run in the third.

Lopes senior pitcher Dalton Chapman was doing his part to keep New Mexico's offense in check early. New Mexico sophomore first baseman Derek Marshall Jr. took advantage of a mistake pitch in the third for a home run and a 5-3 Lobos lead.

GCU turned the tide in the fifth inning, scoring four runs to convert a two-run deficit into a two-run advantage. The first two batters reached base before Hansen's double off the wall in straightaway center scored a run. DeNiro hit into a fielder's choice that scored a run with a throwing error plating another. Senior second baseman Marc Mumper capped off the scoring with a single up the middle to put the Lopes up 7-5.

"We had some timely hitting," Stankiewicz said. "Nick Hansen had the big double. Marc Mumper came in and had two nice hits. We had a little bit of help from everyone in the lineup."

GCU and New Mexico traded runs the rest of the way with the Lopes' two-run edge holding. Senior third baseman Tyler Wyatt hit a solo homer out of the deep park and off the left-center field scoreboard in the sixth. For its final tally in the eighth, Hansen was intentionally caught stealing but not before evading the tag long enough for Bess to trot home from third.

Junior pitcher Cole Hoskins earned his fourth save of the season by limiting the Lobos to one run over the final two innings.

Bess, Mumper and Hansen each had two hits to lead GCU's 10-hit effort.

The Lopes return to Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark for conference action Friday, when they open a three-game series against CSU Bakersfield at 6:30 p.m.