GCU explodes for 9-run, 6-run innings

Friday, May 20

Phoenix, Ariz.

6:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Seattle U

5/20/2022 10:20:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Hansen induces mercy rule in 17-7 win on Senior Night

By: Josh Hauser

Grand Canyon senior first baseman Nick Hansen doubled off the wall in right field to push across the final two runs of a mercy-rule win over Seattle U on Friday night.

Hansen's knock — which missed leaving the yard by about a yard — capped a six-run seventh inning that put the 25th-ranked Lopes up 17-7 and ended the Senior Night festivities in the seventh inning at GCU Ballpark.

"That was really cool," Lopes head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "What a great way to finish this thing if Hanny could get a walk-off knock. He's been the ultimate teammate, the ultimate student-athlete."

GCU's dugout cleared to swarm Hansen at second base and celebrate the Lopes' 38th win and perfect 10-0 mark for winning WAC series.

"I'm just thrilled for him and his family," Stankiewicz said. "He's put so much work in, and he's a huge part of our program just because of the person he is and the character he brings to our program. For him to get the walk-off, that's a huge moment for him and for our team. His teammates love him, and you saw that. They were just excited that he was able to do that on Senior Night."

Hansen, a first baseman from Orange, California, was honored on the field prior to Friday's game with fellow seniors Juan Colato, Jonny Weaver and Jason Nelson.

Although the Lopes won by double digits, Seattle U plated the first four runs with two in the first inning and two in the second.

GCU more than responded, tallying nine runs in the third for its biggest single-inning outburst of the season.

The marathon third inning included a two-run single from sophomore shortstop Jacob Wilson, a two-run home run for junior right fielder Tayler Aguilar, a two-run double for Weaver, a run-scoring wild pitch and a two-run home run from Colato.

Both Wilson and Aguilar reached the 60-RBI mark for the season in the third inning, marking the first Lopes duo to each have 60 or more RBIs in the same season since Ronnie Holtorf and Brian Sellier did it in 1999.

Aguilar also homered to lead off the fourth inning, running his season total to 19 to match Craig Caballero (1994) for GCU's Division I program record.

Staked to a 9-4 lead, Lopes sophomore right-hander Carter Young settled down and pitched the final three innings of his outing scoreless to qualify for his third win of the season.

"We didn't get off to the greatest start, but I'm proud of the way C.Y. responded," Stankiewicz said. "He fought through a little bit of a storm there and then settled back in. We need him. We're going to need him in this tournament coming up. It's good for him to finish the regular season on a good note. I'm pleased with the way he gutted it out and put some better innings together in the third, fourth and fifth."

The Lopes offense struck for another crooked run total in the seventh. Colato drove in a pair of runs on a single, Aguilar capped off a five-RBI night with a two-run single and Hansen finished off the inning and the evening with the two-run double.

"The offense did a nice job," Stankiewicz said. "Again, we don't like to give up runs early, but the feeling in the dugout is, 'OK, it's alright. Here we are. So what?' From that respect, I thought that we did a nice job tonight."

Sophomore left fielder Elijah Buries homered in the fifth. The Lopes hit four home runs in the game, the most at Brazell Field since March 16, 2019. Aguilar posted his fourth multi-homer game of the season, all coming since April 26.

GCU checked in with its third-highest run tally of the season.

The Lopes close out the regular season on Saturday at noon at GCU Ballpark.