Early run support, Avitia gem clinches series

Saturday, March 11

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

10-4, 2-0

New Mexico State

0-12, 0-2

New Mexico State

Grand Canyon

3/11/2023 9:11:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Lopes score 9 runs in first 2 innings; Avitia throws 6 shutout innings

By: Jerob Moon

The Grand Canyon baseball team picked up its first WAC series win with a 10-0 run-rule win over New Mexico State on Saturday night at GCU Ballpark.

The Lopes (10-4, 2-0 WAC) came out swinging, scoring nine runs in the first two innings to give plenty of run support to sophomore starting pitcher Daniel Avitia who threw six shutout innings with seven strikeouts.

"That's the goal every time out to win the series," head coach Gregg Wallis said. "Now we've done that, and we want to come out tomorrow and continue to play good baseball. We've got Connor Markl, which is a nice feeling on a Sunday to have him going. It's nice to take the series but we want tomorrow as well."

GCU wasted no time in opening the scoring as leadoff man Homer Bush Jr. used the wind to his advantage and hit his first home run of the season to right field. It was the first of three home runs the Lopes hit on the night with junior right fielder Cade Verdusco hitting a two-run shot in the second inning and graduate first baseman Zach Yorke adding a solo home run in the fifth to make it 10-0.

Nine GCU runs were scored in the first two innings, more than enough run support for Avitia. Bush and Verdusco's home runs were the exclamation points on the 10 hits the Lopes collected in the first two innings. Junior shortstop Jacob Wilson collected a single and RBI double while Yorke knocked in two runs on a double in the second. Junior left fielder Elijah Buries also added an RBI single in the first.

"It was a little bit different today," Wallis said. "We've been playing so many close games, so it was nice to get some cushion early. I thought Danny did a great job keeping his focus. We got up 9-0 in the second but (pitching coach Nathan) Bannister was challenging Danny to treat this like a one-run game and just continue to compete and he did that."

Avitia scattered five hits over six innings and struck out seven Aggies (0-12, 0-2 WAC) with no walks. Only two New Mexico State baserunners reached second in his outing and Avitia pounded the strike zone with 59 called strikes on 87 pitches.

Freshman Issac Lyon entered the game in the seventh and closed it out by allowing one hit in a scoreless inning.

Yorke set a new career-high with four RBIs on the night, and Wilson finished a perfect 3 for 3 with a pair of runs scored.

Junior left hander Connor Markl will take the mound tomorrow as the Lopes look for the weekend sweep at 12 p.m.