Verdusco's 9th-inning hit clinches sweep

Sunday, April 10

St. George, Utah

11 a.m.

Grand Canyon

23-11, 13-2

Dixie State

14-17, 8-7

Grand Canyon

Dixie State

Photo by: Josh Hauser

4/10/2022 2:46:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

GCU game-winning single follows Dixie State rally from 5-2 deficit to tie

By: Josh Hauser

ST. GEORGE, Utah — Grand Canyon sophomore left fielder Cade Verdusco hit a go-ahead single in the top of the ninth inning to reclaim a Lopes lead and finish off a series sweep at Dixie State on Sunday.

The Lopes (23-11, 13-2 WAC) claimed their third conference sweep and won their sixth consecutive game with Sunday's 6-5 result. A week after making a game-winning defensive play, Verdusco delivered a game-winning hit that gave GCU a 3 1/2-game lead in the WAC's West Division at the midpoint of conference play.

"Really all day, Cade had taken big at bats," Lopes assistant coach Gregg Wallis said. "Even early in the game when he got to two strikes, he was battling and making solid contact. He had the big sac fly. It felt like he was locked in. He got a pitch up in the zone and he hit it hard and found a hole. Just a really good piece of hitting from Cade."

After GCU saw its 5-2 lead erased with a three-run sixth inning by the Trailblazers, Lopes relievers Eli Ankeney and Vince Reilly posted three straight zeros. Ankeney threw the first two, giving him eight consecutive shutout appearances, and Reilly earned his conference-best ninth save of the season after tossing a scoreless bottom of the ninth.

"Eli got in there and shut it down," Wallis said. "He's done that all year. Vince came in. You just feel really good when Eli and Vince come in. They've been doing it all year. The guys know when they're out there, we have a great chance to win. They did it again. Eli was special again, shutting them down for two. We needed it."

Verudsco's game-winning hit in the top of the ninth was set up by a one-out double from Lopes sophomore first baseman Tyler Wilson, who recorded a three-hit game after going 5 for 5 in Saturday's win. He went 14 for 23 in the Texas Tech and Dixie State sweeps to move his batting average from .253 to .325.

Dixie State elected to intentionally walk junior right fielder Tayler Aguilar to get to Verdusco, and he made the Trailblazers pay with a single through the left side on the first pitch.

The Trailblazers threatened in the ninth, picking up two more singles, but Reilly stranded the go-ahead run in scoring position with a game-ending pop out.

Dixie State grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the third, but the Lopes promptly responded in the top of the fourth with two runs to tie. Verdusco reached on a throwing error and scored on an RBI fielder's choice from sophomore center fielder Homer Bush Jr. Senior third baseman Jonny Weaver picked up a two-out single to tie the score.

The Lopes kept adding on with two more runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth. Sophomore shortstop Jacob Wilson, Tyler Wilson and Aguilar teamed up for consecutive singles to load the bases in the fifth. Verdusco picked up a sacrifice fly to push the Lopes in front and junior designated hitter Adrian Torres came up with a two-out single to score another. Torres is 12 for 24 in the past seven games after previously having two hits on the season.

In the sixth inning, sophomore second baseman Elijah Buries pulled off a rare inside-the-park home run on a ball that hit the top of the left-field fence. Buries was turning third base by the time the center fielder picked up the ball and scored well before his throw. It was Buries' second home run of the season.

Part of a 14-hit afternoon for the Trailblazers, Dixie State picked up five hits in the sixth inning to score three runs and tie the score before the Lopes came back for the win.

For the first time this season, the Lopes will be off from midweek action, although a three-game weekend series against second-place California Baptist (21-9, 8-5 WAC) will begin a day early on Thursday at GCU Ballpark.