Completed Event: Baseball at Stanford on May 9, 2025 , Win , 4, to, 3
Baseball
at Stanford
W 4-3
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, March 31
Orem, Utah
5 p.m. (MST)
Grand Canyon
16-9, 7-3
11
at
2
Utah Valley
14-11, 2-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Grand Canyon
1
0
1
0
2
0
0
6
1
11
13
0
Utah Valley
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
11
0
GCU runs away with series opener
3/31/2023 8:42:00 PM | Baseball
Lopes rack up 7 2-out RBIs in late runaway
OREM, Utah — Grand Canyon grabbed a fifth-inning lead and ran away with an 11-2 win in the series opener at Utah Valley's UCCU Ballpark on Friday night.
With the impressive pitching performances of juniors Zach Thornton, Connor Markl and Nathan Ward, the 4-2 lead that the Lopes took in the fifth inning would have held true. But GCU continued tacking on runs with a six-run eighth inning and one more run in the ninth for good measure.
GCU (16-9, 7-3 WAC) improved to 7-0 in series openers behind its 11-run, 13-hit effort.
The Lopes got multi-hit efforts from junior center fielder Homer Bush Jr. (three hits), graduate second baseman Zack Gregory (two hits) and junior third baseman Elijah Buries (two hits).
"It's been nice to get back in there and help the guys out," Buries said. "It felt good on defense today. Felt good in the box. I felt calm today. Trusting our team, trusting our guys. I was trying to put up some good at bats."
A career .351 hitter entering the season, Buries recorded his second multi-hit game in his last three games played as he continues working his way back into form following a preseason hand injury.
"That's what the boys were saying that Elijah is back," Lopes head coach Gregg Wallis said. "We knew he would get there. At practice the other day, all the other coaches were like, 'The ball is jumping off of Elijah's bat like it usually does.' We felt like he was going to start moving. Obviously he's a huge piece to what we're trying to do moving forward."
After Buries hit a sacrifice fly to give GCU a 4-2 lead in the fifth, he singled twice in GCU's six-run eighth inning. His second hit drove in a pair of runs.
"I'm never here to make excuses but not having real at bats for almost five weeks leading into the season was tough," Buries said. "I feel good now. Everything's healthy. Now it's about the confidence level. I'm just glad to contribute and help the guys out."
On the mound, Thornton improved to 5-0 on the year after a five-inning start, scattering eight hits and allowing one earned run. He threw 102 pitches before exiting with a 4-2 lead.
"Zach was aggressive in the strike zone as always," Wallis said. "He left a few pitches up but he minimized. He only gave up two runs over five innings. It wasn't Zach's best and Zach knows that, but he's still so good, he was able to minimize some innings and he doesn't really walk guys."
GCU handed the ball to its typical Sunday starter in Markl. After exiting Sunday's game against Sam Houston after two innings of work as a precautionary measure due to soreness, Markl was cleared to toss 50 pitches in the weekend series at Utah Valley. The Lopes opted to use his services in a tight 4-2 spot on a Friday night.
"Connor was electric tonight," Wallis said. "We just felt like if we were going to get 50 pitches out of Connor, let's put him where he's got a chance to finish a game."
Markl tossed three scoreless innings and struck out five. The junior lefty got plenty of run support during his time on the mound, as the Lopes lead ballooned from two runs to nine runs.
The Lopes put the game away with a six-run eighth inning. Buries and sophomore first baseman Eli Paton each singled before a struggling Utah Valley relief corps walked four consecutively. Buries finished things off with his two-run single.
GCU got on the board in the first with a triple by Bush and single by Gregory. Utah Valley matched GCU's one-run first with a solo home run.
The Lopes reclaimed the lead with back-to-back doubles from Gregory and junior shortstop Jacob Wilson before Utah Valley tied it again in the fourth.
Freshman designated hitter Zach Yorke gave the Lopes the lead for good in the fifth with an RBI single to score Bush, and the Lopes offense kicked into high gear from there.
The Lopes limited their opposition to two runs or less for the fifth time this season and first since March 11 against New Mexico State.
GCU and Utah Valley continue the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. (Phoenix time).
With the impressive pitching performances of juniors Zach Thornton, Connor Markl and Nathan Ward, the 4-2 lead that the Lopes took in the fifth inning would have held true. But GCU continued tacking on runs with a six-run eighth inning and one more run in the ninth for good measure.
GCU (16-9, 7-3 WAC) improved to 7-0 in series openers behind its 11-run, 13-hit effort.
The Lopes got multi-hit efforts from junior center fielder Homer Bush Jr. (three hits), graduate second baseman Zack Gregory (two hits) and junior third baseman Elijah Buries (two hits).
"It's been nice to get back in there and help the guys out," Buries said. "It felt good on defense today. Felt good in the box. I felt calm today. Trusting our team, trusting our guys. I was trying to put up some good at bats."
A career .351 hitter entering the season, Buries recorded his second multi-hit game in his last three games played as he continues working his way back into form following a preseason hand injury.
"That's what the boys were saying that Elijah is back," Lopes head coach Gregg Wallis said. "We knew he would get there. At practice the other day, all the other coaches were like, 'The ball is jumping off of Elijah's bat like it usually does.' We felt like he was going to start moving. Obviously he's a huge piece to what we're trying to do moving forward."
After Buries hit a sacrifice fly to give GCU a 4-2 lead in the fifth, he singled twice in GCU's six-run eighth inning. His second hit drove in a pair of runs.
"I'm never here to make excuses but not having real at bats for almost five weeks leading into the season was tough," Buries said. "I feel good now. Everything's healthy. Now it's about the confidence level. I'm just glad to contribute and help the guys out."
On the mound, Thornton improved to 5-0 on the year after a five-inning start, scattering eight hits and allowing one earned run. He threw 102 pitches before exiting with a 4-2 lead.
"Zach was aggressive in the strike zone as always," Wallis said. "He left a few pitches up but he minimized. He only gave up two runs over five innings. It wasn't Zach's best and Zach knows that, but he's still so good, he was able to minimize some innings and he doesn't really walk guys."
GCU handed the ball to its typical Sunday starter in Markl. After exiting Sunday's game against Sam Houston after two innings of work as a precautionary measure due to soreness, Markl was cleared to toss 50 pitches in the weekend series at Utah Valley. The Lopes opted to use his services in a tight 4-2 spot on a Friday night.
"Connor was electric tonight," Wallis said. "We just felt like if we were going to get 50 pitches out of Connor, let's put him where he's got a chance to finish a game."
Markl tossed three scoreless innings and struck out five. The junior lefty got plenty of run support during his time on the mound, as the Lopes lead ballooned from two runs to nine runs.
The Lopes put the game away with a six-run eighth inning. Buries and sophomore first baseman Eli Paton each singled before a struggling Utah Valley relief corps walked four consecutively. Buries finished things off with his two-run single.
GCU got on the board in the first with a triple by Bush and single by Gregory. Utah Valley matched GCU's one-run first with a solo home run.
The Lopes reclaimed the lead with back-to-back doubles from Gregory and junior shortstop Jacob Wilson before Utah Valley tied it again in the fourth.
Freshman designated hitter Zach Yorke gave the Lopes the lead for good in the fifth with an RBI single to score Bush, and the Lopes offense kicked into high gear from there.
The Lopes limited their opposition to two runs or less for the fifth time this season and first since March 11 against New Mexico State.
GCU and Utah Valley continue the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. (Phoenix time).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Thornton, Zach (5-0)
L: Burkett, J (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Gregory, Zack 1 ; Wilson, Jacob 1 ; Buckley, Josh 1
3B: Bush Jr., Homer 1
RBI: Bush Jr., Homer 1 ; Gregory, Zack 2 ; Wilson, Jacob 1 ; Yorke, Zach 2 ; Buries, Elijah 3 ; Paton, Eli 1
SH: Verdusco, Cade 1
SF: Buries, Elijah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bush Jr., Homer 3 ; Gregory, Zack 2 ; Wilson, Jacob 2 ; Buries, Elijah 1 ; Verdusco, Cade 1 ; Buckley, Josh 1 ; Paton, Eli 1
SB: Bush Jr., Homer 2
HBP: Verdusco, Cade 1
Batting:
2B: Camper, B 1 ; Broussard, G 1
HR: Mills, P 1
RBI: Mills, P 1 ; Iverson, L 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mills, P 1 ; Cutchen, T 1
CS: Dickinson, D 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
1
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballUTIL
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
UTIL
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