Ohl, McCarville deal in doubleheader shutout

Saturday, April 10

Phoenix, Ariz.

2 p.m.

Grand Canyon

15-14-1, 10-4

Northern Colorado

7-18, 3-11

Northern Colorado

Grand Canyon

4/10/2021 8:30:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

GCU pitching runs scoreless streak to 22 innings, strikes out 22 in doubleheader

By: Josh Hauser

Grand Canyon starting pitchers Pierson Ohl and Dawson McCarville each posted impressive outings as the Lopes shut out Northern Colorado in both games of a Saturday doubleheader at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark.

"It all started with Pierson in Game 1," Lopes head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "He's got great tempo. Dawson McCarville – that's huge for us. We need that big boy to come in and do what he did today. That's a breath of fresh air from that standpoint. He had some great relief innings recently and it felt like he wanted the baseball. It was his turn, his time. He stepped up in a big way for us in the second game of the doubleheader."

Combined with two relief innings from senior right-hander Nick Hull, the GCU pitching staff tossed 16 shutout innings on the day. The Lopes allowed only seven hits and three walks while striking out 22.

GCU posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time since a doubleheader against Chicago State on April 28, 2019.

Sophomore right fielder Tayler Aguilar held down the No. 5 spot on the lineup card for GCU and led the way with four RBIs on the day.

"I like hitting there because I like getting RBIs," Aguilar said. "I like getting those guys in. Touching knuckles when I come into the dugout. It's awesome."

After Saturday's 4-0 and 5-0 victories, GCU will look to secure a series win in Sunday's noon finale at GCU Ballpark.

Game 1

The Lopes started the day with Ohl posting a complete-game win, something GCU has had the benefit of in three consecutive conference series. Ohl had a career-best outing, posting a two-hit shutout with a career-high 11 strikeouts.

"I knew I had to come out and set the tone especially with this doubleheader going on," the junior right-hander said. "I thought I could make a difference for the team. I came out, got a couple of baserunners early but found a way to get out of it. And then just kept doing my thing from there."

GCU did the majority of its damage with a three-run third inning. The first three batters reached base, including an RBI double from senior shortstop Channy Ortiz to score the game's first run. Aguilar pushed the lead further with a two-out, two-run single to right.

"He got the helmet after the game and that is very well deserving," Ohl said of Aguilar winning the team-selected player of the game token. "People don't understand how hard it is to hit with two outs, and he did a heck of a job today."

Aguilar picked up a third RBI in the fifth inning for an insurance run. Freshman first baseman Elijah Buries reached on a three-base error to lead off the inning.

"No one is surprised by a seven-inning complete game now," Ohl joked. "Tayler is very well deserving. Hitting is so hard. Hats off to him."

Ohl set the tone in the early stages of the game, using the strikeout to retire five of the six batters in the second and third innings.

Ohl's previous career high in strikeouts came earlier this season when he tallied nine strikeouts against Oregon State on Feb. 26.

"Everything was working pretty well," Ohl said. "I struggled with the change-up early and had to bury some breaking balls at the right time. But the fastball command was really ... I mean I was getting strikes in the bottom of the zone and it's hard to do anything with a pitch down there. Just staying in the bottom of the zone and going from there."

The 4-0 victory marked GCU's second shutout win of the season.

Game 2

McCarville climbed the hill for GCU in the nightcap and picked up where Ohl left off. The senior right-hander threw seven scoreless innings with eight strikeouts to earn his first win of the season.

"We feel like he wants the ball," Stankiewicz said. "I think he's come to a point where he's like, 'Hey, enough. I'm a better pitcher than what he's shown prior,' It's just a mentality from that side. He was aggressive and attacking the zone. He's got a good rhythm on the mound right now. I think it's more mentality. His stuff is working. His stuff has always been good. Today, he did a great job of just attacking the strike zone and not necessarily worrying about the results, just shoving it in there and letting the defense play for him and it showed really well."

After struggling in his first start of the season on March 23, McCarville has been lights out. After scoreless, no-hit relief outings of three and four innings at Tulane and Utah Valley, respectively, McCarville ran his scoreless streak to 14 innings against Northern Colorado.

"Just mindset and got to get my competitive edge back," McCarville said of the improved results. "I think I just got in a groove and went with it."

McCarville almost immediately had the benefit of a comfortable lead. The Lopes struck for four runs in the first inning after a two-run double by junior Juan Colato, another run-scoring hit from Aguilar and an RBI fielder's choice from freshman designated hitter Dustin Crenshaw.

A significant scoring threat never materialized for Northern Colorado, as none of the Bears' five hits came consecutively.

The Lopes added a fourth-inning run for good measure. Freshman third baseman Jacob Wilson hit a leadoff double. Junior Jonny Weaver got his first start of the season at second base and drove in Wilson to push the GCU advantage to 5-0.

Weaver also flashed the leather to prevent a second first-inning hit with a play that McCarville dubbed the "play of the game, for sure."

With the final six innings of Friday's opener, GCU has held the Bears scoreless for 22 consecutive innings entering Sunday's series finale.

GCU Lopes · Baseball vs. Northern Colorado (Game 3) - Postgame with Andy Stankiewicz