Sweep of Aggies gives Lopes 8 straight wins

Sunday, April 18

Las Cruces, N.M.

11 a.m.

Grand Canyon

22-14-1, 0

New Mexico State

11-21, 0

Grand Canyon

New Mexico State

4/18/2021 3:00:00 PM | Baseball

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GCU on longest win streak of 16 D-I seasons behind season-best 16 hits

By: Josh Hauser

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Grand Canyon used a season-high 16 hits to post its most dominant win of a four-game series sweep of New Mexico State. The Lopes topped the Aggies 11-3 on Sunday at Presley Askew Field, posting their eighth consecutive victory for the program's longest win streak in its 16 Division I seasons.

"It was encouraging," said GCU head coach Andy Stankiewicz, whose team became the first to sweep the Aggies in Las Cruces since the Lopes also did it in 2017. "To come here and win four games at New Mexico State, that's not easy to do. That's not easy to do anywhere, but it's certainly not easy to do against a good team like them. We'll take it and it'll be a much nicer bus ride going home."

Besting the 1994 team's record of 21-15-1, the Lopes (22-14-1, 16-4 WAC) now hold the program's best D-I record through 37 games and remains one game ahead of California Baptist (13-3 WAC) atop the conference. GCU picked up a four-game road sweep for the first time since 2013, its final year as a D-II program. The Aggies (11-21, 9-11 WAC) were the victim of a four-game sweep at home for the first time since 2010.

GCU took an early 1-0 lead with a first-inning run for the third consecutive game. The Lopes, however, did the majority of their damage in the middle of the game by plating five runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth for a commanding 9-0 lead. New Mexico State countered with a three-run fifth, but GCU's lead was never in serious jeopardy and the Lopes tacked on two more in the eighth for added insurance.

"I thought we swung the bats better, for sure," Stankiewicz said. "We did a good job when runners were on third base with less than two outs, putting some swings out there to get us a couple of sacrifice flies. That's good, fundamental offense. That was encouraging that we swung the bats better."

Lopes freshman right-hander Carter Young was victorious for the fifth straight time and improved to 6-0 on the season. He tossed six innings, struck out five, scattered eight hits and limited the Aggies to the three-run fifth inning.

"I was most impressed with Carter Young after the three he gave up in the fifth, to go back out in the sixth and settle down," Stankiewicz said. "It's over, it's done with, flush it and get back on it and make some really good pitches. That was kind of a momentum swing there. They scored the three. They're putting some good at bats together. But I like the fact that he got back on the horse and got us back in the dugout and kept that momentum back in our dugout."

All nine Lopes batters finished the day with a base hit or an RBI, and seven had both. Sophomore right fielder Tayler Aguilar became the only Lopes besides Elijah Buries (March 28 at Tulane) and Channy Ortiz (Feb. 27 vs. Oregon State) to have a four-hit game this season. Junior Jonny Weaver continued his offensive tear since taking over at second base, picking up two more hits and driving in a game-high three runs.

To score in the first, GCU junior left fielder Juan Colato and Aguilar had back-to-back doubles.

The Lopes sent all nine batters to the plate in the fourth inning. After Aguilar, freshman center fielder Cade Verdusco and freshman designated hitter Dustin Crenshaw loaded the bases with singles, Weaver drove in two runs on a double to left. Senior first baseman Dane Stankiewicz scorched a ball to third to score two more and push the lead to 5-0. Senior shortstop Channy Ortiz capped the inning with an RBI single to score Stankiewicz.

Colato smashed his fourth homer of the season to open fifth-inning scoring before consecutive sacrifice flies from Weaver and senior catcher David Avitia gave the Lopes their largest lead at 9-0.

Holding a 9-3 edge, the Lopes scored twice more in the eighth inning. Stankiewicz led off the inning with a single and scored on a double by Weaver. GCU wrapped its scoring when Verdusco beat out an infield single to score freshman third baseman Jacob Wilson.

In back of Young, senior right-hander Nick Hull and freshman left-hander Connor Markl combined for three shutout innings with four strikeouts, including Markl striking out the side to end the game.

"Nick Hull did a great job of coming in and pounding the zone," Stankiewicz said. "And Connor Markl, that's part of his development. That's twice now, coming out of the bullpen to give us a good solid inning of work. We need to see that, and we need to see that all of our young guys and see what they can do as we get further into conference play."

GCU limited New Mexico State to 10 runs over the four-game series and has now held opponents to four or fewer runs in 14 straight games.

Next, GCU will end a decade-long pause in its series with Arizona State. The Lopes and Sun Devils (19-11) will first meet on Tuesday night in Tempe before playing at GCU Ballpark on Wednesday night.