Run-rule win clinches series

Saturday, May 4

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

27-19, 13-7

CSU Bakersfield

19-30, 7-13

CSU Bakersfield

Grand Canyon

Photo by: David Cohen

5/4/2019 9:36:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Lopes pound out 19 hits; Weaver leads with 4

By: Josh Hauser

Behind the strength of back-to-back five-run innings, Grand Canyon posted a 12-2 run-rule victory Saturday night to clinch the series against CSU Bakersfield at GCU Ballpark.

Every batter in the lineup got a hit for GCU (27-19, 13-7), even with late-game substitute Brock Burton doubling in his lone plate appearance. The Lopes have won 10 of their last 11 games, including eight consecutive conference games.

"The lineup seems to be lengthened out a bit," GCU assistant coach Gregg Wallis said. "The guys in the nine hole, you could flip it and they could be at the top. There does seem to be some length to it and a lot of guys getting good at bats right now."

Junior pitcher Kade Mechals became the nation's second pitcher to 10 victories this season. The right-hander allowed two runs on six hits in five innings of work.

"They're gritty and they're competitors," Wallis said of GCU's pitching rotation. "All three of those starters, they're gritty. They're just going to give you what they got. They don't have to have their best stuff. When they have their best stuff, they all can be electric. When they don't, they're going to compete and battle and give us a shot to win."

Roadrunners starting pitcher Edgar Barclay entered the day 5-2 with a 2.69 ERA, but the Lopes roughed up the lefty for seven earned runs on 10 hits in three innings.

Chasing Barclay from the game with a five-run third, the Lopes went right back to work off the bullpen of CSU Bakersfield (19-30, 7-13 WAC) by posting a second straight five-run inning in the fourth.

"It was a really good night offensively, and the guys used the middle of the field really well." Wallis said. "A lot of balls that went right back up the middle. We worked on it this week of staying with better direction to the middle of the field, and it paid off really well tonight. We hit a lot of balls hard, it was a good night."

Freshman shortstop and leadoff hitter Jonny Weaver led the GCU hit parade with a 4-for-4 night that included a double and a walk. It was Weaver's eighth multi-hit game in 18 starts but his first game with more than two hits.

"I was just trying to do anything for the team," Weaver said. "Teammates put me in good situations and in good hitter's counts. Just do whatever I can."

CSUB jumped out to the early advantage for the second straight night but came storming back with even more force than last night's come-from-behind victory.

Lopes senior first baseman Cuba Bess singled to begin the second and scored on a stand-up triple by senior center fielder Preston Pavlica. Sophomore catcher David Avitia promptly hit a sacrifice fly to score Pavlica and tie the game in the second.

GCU broke the game open with 10 runs on nine hits between the third and fourth innings. Pavlica drove in two more runs on a double while Weaver, Austin Bull, Bess, Avitia and Quin Cotton each had a run-scoring hit. Avitia's came when he pulled a two-run home run, his third of the season.

"He got into that one," Wallis said of Avitia's home run. "He's been working really hard and he's been staying positive about his approach and his swing. He was working early today with Coach (Andy) Stankiewicz, working on using the middle. He barreled that ball up today and I saw the big smile. He just keeps working and he's going to get better and better and better."

GCU pitching limited CSUB to the two second-inning runs, ensuring that the 10-run rule ended the game early.

The bullpen didn't have much work to do, thanks to the shortened nature of the contest, but sophomore Zach Barnes and senior Nick Ohanian combined to toss two scoreless frames.

GCU posted 19 hits, the second-highest mark on the season behind a 20-hit game in the 25-18 slugfest against Xavier on March 16. The Lopes hit 19 for 36, a season-best .528 average.

The Lopes will go for their third straight series sweep when the teams meet at noon Sunday at GCU Ballpark.

"Just bring that energy tomorrow," Weaver said. "Don't be complacent. The series win today, but make sure to get the sweep tomorrow. Make sure to bring that same energy we had the last two days."