Late heroics flip script

Thursday, May 16

Sacramento, Calif. / John Smith Field

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

33-20, 0

Sacramento State

31-22, 0

Grand Canyon

Sacramento State

Photo by: Josh Hauser

5/16/2019 11:03:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Pavlica, Bess, Avitia back Lopes' pitching with clutch hits

By: Josh Hauser

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Grand Canyon was down to its final four outs, trailing by a run and facing Sacramento State's closer who had not allowed a home run on the season.

Preston Pavlica changed all of that in a hurry. The GCU senior outfielder hit a solo home run to left field to tie the game, and the Lopes took care of business in the 10th inning to defeat Sacramento State 5-2 on Thursday night.

With the win, the Lopes (33-20, 18-7 WAC) moved into a first-place tie with New Mexico State and California Baptist. GCU won its 13th consecutive conference game and matched the program's Division I best for wins in a season.

"Pav's been working so hard on his swing and staying through the ball," GCU head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "He's just starting to understand the mechanics of his swing and how it's supposed to work. He's so strong he's able to get some backspin and the ball was able to carry and get out to left.

"I'm proud of him. He's just a grinder. He's starting to get to the peak of where he wants to be as a ballplayer. Toward the end, you need some big boys to step up and have some quality at bats. He's certainly been that guy for us."

After Pavlica tied the game with the big swing, the Lopes and Hornets (31-22, 16-9 WAC) went scoreless in the ninth before GCU came up with three runs in the top of the 10th.

Junior Kona Quiggle and senior Tyler Wyatt reached to begin the inning, setting the stage for a double to deep center field by sophomore Cuba Bess that scored Quiggle and put the Lopes in front. Sophomore David Avitia delivered the final blow by hitting a bases-loaded double to left field that scored two more to put GCU in front 5-2.

"We were able to put it in play and put a little pressure on them and able to get some runners in scoring position," Stankiewicz said. "Cuba with the big double to dead center with two strikes, that was a great at bat. David got the big bases-loaded double down the line. Baseball is a momentum game and the momentum shifted back to our side and we were able to hold on to it."

Entering Thursday, Sacramento State closer Tanner Dalton had surrendered just eight runs in 41 innings of work. GCU got to Dalton for four runs in three innings.

GCU's pitching staff kept the Lopes in the game, beginning with another quality start from freshman Pierson Ohl. For the first time in his career, Ohl did not allow an earned run. The right-hander tossed 6 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out five.

Out of the bullpen, junior Cole Hoskins and sophomore Frankie Scalzo held the Hornets in check. Hoskins recorded the final out of the seventh before retiring the side in order in the eighth. Scalzo retired all six batters that he faced in order in the ninth and 10th innings to earn his fourth win of the season.

"Pierson Ohl just competed like heck," Stankiewicz said. "He kept it to a one-run game. The job that Hoskins and Scalzo did coming out of the bullpen was big. You can't say enough about those guys and their effort right there."

If it were not for the late rally, GCU would have left John Smith Field kicking itself for missed opportunities. The Lopes loaded the bases in the first with one out but could not score. The first two batters of the second reached, but a popped bunt and pick off ended the threat. GCU could not get a seventh-inning bunt down to move the tying run into scoring position.

"We had some early opportunities that we have to learn from," Stankiewicz said. "We'll get better as a result of some of those missed opportunities. It wasn't really offensive early, but we always say it doesn't have to be pretty. You just have to figure out a way to put it in play and give ourselves a shot."

Nearly half of GCU's nine hits came in the final three innings, where the Lopes scored four of their five runs.

Not only did Bess come away with the go-ahead RBI in the 10th, the GCU first baseman put the Lopes on the board in the third inning with a two-out RBI single to score Wyatt. Bess had three hits and two key RBIs in the win.

On a night when the top third of the lineup went 0 for 14, the bottom six in the order carried GCU to the victory. Pavlica extended his reached-base streak to 26 games on the first pitch he saw, doubling to lead off the second inning.

Due to heavy rain in the Saturday forecast, the regular season will conclude with a Friday doubleheader. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. from John Smith Field.