Lopes start Seattle U series with 5-3 win

Friday, March 19

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

6-9-1, 3-2

Seattle U

5-9, 0-1

Seattle U

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Garrett Ohrenberg

3/19/2021 10:06:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

GCU freshmen combine for 7 hits, 3 runs scored

By: Jerob Moon

The Grand Canyon baseball team started a four-game series against Seattle U with a 5-3 win on Friday night at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark.

Lopes senior pitcher Zach Barnes logged a quality start and earned his second win of the season with 6 1/3 innings pitched and eight strikeouts. GCU freshmen Cade Verdusco, Elijah Buries, Tyler Wilson and Ryland Zaborowski combined for seven hits and three runs scored.

"I thought Zach did a nice job," Lopes head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "I don't think he would tell you it was his best, but he grinded it out and threw some big pitches when we needed it, so I was proud of him. (Seattle U) jumped out early and we did a good job of staying in it. (Redhawks starting pitcher Alex) Jemal was tough, so I was proud of the guys and they used the middle of the field better in some moments when we needed to get some stuff going. That's part of our development offensively is understanding how to stay inside the baseball and use the middle of the diamond instead of hitting ground ball rollovers."

Seattle U (5-9, 0-1 WAC) jumped to a 2-0 lead with four hits in the top of the second, but the Lopes stay composed and took the lead with a three-run fifth. Verdusco hit a single up the middle to start the inning and later scored on an Buries double down the left-field line while junior second baseman Juan Colato advanced to third to get the Lopes on the board.

In the next at bat, Zaborowski hit a chopper to third base and an errant throw home allowed Colato and Buries to score for a 3-2 Lopes lead.

GCU (6-9-1, 3-2 WAC) added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings with sacrifice flies by senior outfielder Brock Burton and sophomore catcher Josh Buckley. Those two runs negated a Seattle U solo home run in the top of the seventh.

The Lopes bullpen was strong again, shutting down the Redhawks in the final 1 2/3 innings. Senior right-hander Coen Wynne allowed only his second hit in March, and senior right-hander Frankie Scalzo only needed one pitch to get out of a first-and-third jam in the eighth. He closed it out in the ninth to earn his second save in as many appearances.

GCU senior first baseman Dane Stankiewicz recorded his first career three-hit game in the No. 9 spot to round out a night when each Lopes starter recorded a hit for the first time since April of 2019 against UNLV.

The Lopes and Redhawks will play two games Saturday at GCU Ballpark with the first game, a seven-inning affair, starting at 2 p.m.