Top of lineup leads GCU to series clincher

Saturday, March 5

Riverside, Calif.

6 p.m. MST

Grand Canyon

6-4, 2-0

California Baptist

7-2, 0-2

Grand Canyon

California Baptist

Photo by: Zach Campbell

3/5/2022 9:33:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Lopes' 1st 3 batters combine for 7 hits, 6 RBIs; Avitia spins 5 2/3 scoreless in relief

By: Josh Hauser

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Grand Canyon clinched its first WAC series of the season with a 10-3 victory over California Baptist on Saturday night at Totman Stadium.

The top three batters in GCU's lineup — Homer Bush Jr., Elijah Buries and Jacob Wilson — combined for seven hits and six RBIs as the Lopes (6-4, 2-0 WAC) grabbed a first-inning lead and held it from wire to wire.

On the hill, the Lopes got a dominant relief performance out of freshman Daniel Avitia. The right-hander spun 5 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball, striking out nine and allowing only three hits to earn his first collegiate victory.

GCU wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Buries, Wilson and Tayler Aguilar strung together consecutive singles with Aguilar's hit bringing in Buries.

With a 1-0 lead in hand, the Lopes got right back to work in the second inning. Junior left fielder Adrian Torres was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. Torres scored when senior second baseman Jonny Weaver reached on an error by the third baseman, and Buries cleaned things up with his first home run of the season to score two.

The Lopes tacked on three more runs in the fourth inning to grab a 7-0 lead. After Weaver walked and Bush singled, Wilson hammered his third home run of the season to left field.

California Baptist made a fourth-inning charge when five consecutive batters reached base. While the damage was done with a three-run inning, that represented CBU's lone offensive output of the evening. Outside of the five batters reaching consecutively, the Lopes faced only five over the minimum.

While Avitia cruised through the final five innings on the mound, the Lopes kept tacking on runs. GCU scored a run in the seventh after freshman designated hitter Maxwell Andeel and senior third baseman Juan Colato led off the frame with back-to-back singles. Andeel scored on a double-play ball.

GCU put an exclamation point on the evening with two more runs in the ninth. Colato and Torres doubled and walked, respectively, to open the inning. Both Lopes scored when Bush doubled down the right field line.

Wilson led all hitters with three hits. In the last four games, the sophomore has collected seven RBIs and homered three times.

GCU looks to close out its seven-game road trip with a fifth consecutive victory. The Lopes and Lancers play the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m. (Phoenix time).