GCU drops WAC opener

Friday, March 12

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

3-8-1, 0-1

UT Rio Grande Valley

8-4, 1-0

UT Rio Grande Valley

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Rylan Dressendorfer

3/12/2021 9:55:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Lopes unable to string hits together in home loss to UTRGV

By: Jerob Moon

The Grand Canyon baseball team lost its 2021 WAC opener 6-2 to UT Rio Grande Valley on Friday evening at GCU Ballpark.

The Lopes were unable to string hits together and make the big plays at the plate, finishing 1-for-20 with runners on base.

"We just didn't play well," head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "It's been kind of typical of how we've been playing. We play well in spurts, then just we're not making big pitches or hits. This game is a game of little battles inside nine innings and we're not winning those little battles."

The Lopes (3-8-1, 0-1 WAC) were locked in a closely contested game with the Vaqueros (8-4, 1-0 WAC) until the fourth inning when UTRGV shortstop Christian Sepulveda, the team's leading hitter, cleared the bases with a three-run double off a 1-0 pitch from GCU starter Zach Barnes with two outs in the inning.

GCU designated hitter Nick Hansen hit a leadoff double in the bottom half of the fourth with a double to left field, trying to bring momentum back to the GCU dugout. He was stranded at third, however, after a foul pop-up to the catcher and a strikeout looking ended the Lopes' scoring threat.

The sixth inning mirrored the fourth as the Vaqueros scored three runs, one off a GCU throwing error and two on a single by UTRGV's No. 9 hitter DeAndre Shelton. The Lopes again tried to answer in the bottom of the inning with the first two batters reaching base, but two fly outs to center and a strikeout once again kept GCU off the scoreboard.

Barnes' night was done after the sixth and the duo of right-hander Dawson McCarville and lefty Cal Lambert were bright spots for the GCU bullpen, pitching the final three innings and allowing just two hits with no walks and two strikeouts.

"Those guys did exactly what I told them," Stankiewicz said. "They did what they were supposed to do. Our bullpen is supposed to come in and stop it and they did a nice job. So, I'm proud of Dawson and Cal, hopefully this is a good step for them earning more confidence and getting excited about moving forward."

The Lopes were able to score twice in the final two innings. Left fielder Ryland Zaborowski drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth and center fielder Brock Burton continued his hot hitting with an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. Third baseman Jacob Wilson recorded his third multi-hit game of the season with two singles.

GCU will look to regroup tomorrow when the series continues with a doubleheader against UTRGV starting at 2 p.m.

"We're learning all of this the hard way, and our backs are against the wall a little bit," Stankiewicz said. "Good thing is we have two tomorrow and that's going to be the challenge to our guys is how are we going to respond. So I'm looking forward to us as a team responding well."