Completed Event: Baseball at Stanford on May 9, 2025 , Win , 4, to, 3
Baseball
at Stanford
W 4-3
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Sunday, April 16
Abilene, Texas
11 a.m. (MST)
Grand Canyon
20-15, 11-7
6
at
4
Abilene Christian
24-11, 9-6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
R
H
E
Grand Canyon
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
2
6
8
2
Abilene Christian
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
4
11
0
Bullpen locks down dramatic series win in Abilene
4/16/2023 3:23:00 PM | Baseball
Lopes strand 12 Abilene Christian runners on base; Bush's 12th-inning single holds as game winner
ABILENE, Texas — Grand Canyon wiggled out of tense situations all afternoon to clinch a key series win at Abilene Christian with a theatrical 6-4 victory in 12 innings on Sunday afternoon.
The Lopes bullpen faced four potential walk-off innings and posted zeros in all four of them.
After leading most of the day, GCU (20-15, 11-7 WAC) reclaimed a lead in the 12th inning after freshman third baseman Emilio Barreras hit a one-out single and scored from second base on the game-winning hit from junior center fielder Homer Bush Jr.
The Lopes recovered from a series-opening loss on Friday night to win the second and third games and clinch a key series over the Wildcats (24-11, 9-6 WAC), who entered the weekend a half game ahead in the standings.
"It was a really exciting series," Lopes head coach Gregg Wallis said. "We're playing a good team. We hadn't played a game like this in a long time where it was a really close game. Our bullpen stepped up. It was going to come down to a play one way or the other. It's a huge confidence boost for our guys. This is like a playoff, this is a WAC Tournament type game with high pressure and a lot of big situations. It should be a confidence boost for us as we finish out conference play."
The late-game dramatics started in the seventh inning. Abilene Christian looked poised for a big inning with the bases loaded and no outs, but GCU freshman reliever Grant Richardson played damage control by allowing only one unearned run to score.
Onto the eighth in a 3-3 tie, Bush doubled to lead off GCU's inning and scored on a two-out, two-strike wild pitch to put the Lopes in front 4-3.
Abilene Christian responded with a solo homer to tie it back up in the eighth. Lopes junior right-hander Nathan Ward recorded the final two outs of the eighth.
Ward continued to roll in the ninth and the 10th innings, with the 10th ending via a double play that included a strikeout and caught stealing.
After a GCU threat was ended on a double play in the 11th, the Wildcats made things interesting in the bottom of the 11th. An error, walk and sac bunt put a pair of runners in scoring position with one out. Ward picked up a key strikeout before the Lopes turned to sophomore right-hander Carson Ohl who stranded the bases loaded with another strikeout.
Bush's 12th-inning hit gave GCU a 5-4 lead, and the Lopes tacked on another on a wild pitch.
Naturally, polishing off a win did not come easy in the bottom of the 12th. Abilene Christian's first two batters singled and doubled to place the tying run in scoring position with no outs. Ohl rebounded with another critical strikeout before turning things over to graduate right-hander Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis who ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
"Resilience," Wallis said. "All those guys bounced back. It was beautiful. Grant Richardson was amazing getting out of a bases-loaded jam. Ward really showed us something right there. Just a huge heart, competitor. That was really cool to see him step up in such a big moment.
"Carson got some big outs. Brodie bounced back with two big strikeouts to end the game. He was ready. What a great turnaround for him to come in in that moment and seize the opportunity."
Ohl earned the win and Cooper-Vassalakis got his second save of the season.
GCU only needed eight hits to score its six runs, getting the assistance of eight walks, four stolen bases and two home runs to do the damage. Junior right fielder Cade Verdusco homered in the first inning and junior left fielder Elijah Buries homered in the fourth inning.
The Lopes won their 12th consecutive road conference series, scoring 34 runs and homering eight times in the process. It was the most runs GCU scored in a three-game series since racking up 35 runs at Utah Valley last year.
GCU lefty Zach Thornton turned in another solid start, throwing six innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits.
The Lopes make the 160-mile trek to Lubbock for a two-game midweek series at No. 21 Texas Tech beginning at 4:30 p.m. (Phoenix time) on Tuesday.
The Lopes bullpen faced four potential walk-off innings and posted zeros in all four of them.
After leading most of the day, GCU (20-15, 11-7 WAC) reclaimed a lead in the 12th inning after freshman third baseman Emilio Barreras hit a one-out single and scored from second base on the game-winning hit from junior center fielder Homer Bush Jr.
The Lopes recovered from a series-opening loss on Friday night to win the second and third games and clinch a key series over the Wildcats (24-11, 9-6 WAC), who entered the weekend a half game ahead in the standings.
"It was a really exciting series," Lopes head coach Gregg Wallis said. "We're playing a good team. We hadn't played a game like this in a long time where it was a really close game. Our bullpen stepped up. It was going to come down to a play one way or the other. It's a huge confidence boost for our guys. This is like a playoff, this is a WAC Tournament type game with high pressure and a lot of big situations. It should be a confidence boost for us as we finish out conference play."
The late-game dramatics started in the seventh inning. Abilene Christian looked poised for a big inning with the bases loaded and no outs, but GCU freshman reliever Grant Richardson played damage control by allowing only one unearned run to score.
Onto the eighth in a 3-3 tie, Bush doubled to lead off GCU's inning and scored on a two-out, two-strike wild pitch to put the Lopes in front 4-3.
Abilene Christian responded with a solo homer to tie it back up in the eighth. Lopes junior right-hander Nathan Ward recorded the final two outs of the eighth.
Ward continued to roll in the ninth and the 10th innings, with the 10th ending via a double play that included a strikeout and caught stealing.
After a GCU threat was ended on a double play in the 11th, the Wildcats made things interesting in the bottom of the 11th. An error, walk and sac bunt put a pair of runners in scoring position with one out. Ward picked up a key strikeout before the Lopes turned to sophomore right-hander Carson Ohl who stranded the bases loaded with another strikeout.
Bush's 12th-inning hit gave GCU a 5-4 lead, and the Lopes tacked on another on a wild pitch.
Naturally, polishing off a win did not come easy in the bottom of the 12th. Abilene Christian's first two batters singled and doubled to place the tying run in scoring position with no outs. Ohl rebounded with another critical strikeout before turning things over to graduate right-hander Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis who ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
"Resilience," Wallis said. "All those guys bounced back. It was beautiful. Grant Richardson was amazing getting out of a bases-loaded jam. Ward really showed us something right there. Just a huge heart, competitor. That was really cool to see him step up in such a big moment.
"Carson got some big outs. Brodie bounced back with two big strikeouts to end the game. He was ready. What a great turnaround for him to come in in that moment and seize the opportunity."
Ohl earned the win and Cooper-Vassalakis got his second save of the season.
GCU only needed eight hits to score its six runs, getting the assistance of eight walks, four stolen bases and two home runs to do the damage. Junior right fielder Cade Verdusco homered in the first inning and junior left fielder Elijah Buries homered in the fourth inning.
The Lopes won their 12th consecutive road conference series, scoring 34 runs and homering eight times in the process. It was the most runs GCU scored in a three-game series since racking up 35 runs at Utah Valley last year.
GCU lefty Zach Thornton turned in another solid start, throwing six innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits.
The Lopes make the 160-mile trek to Lubbock for a two-game midweek series at No. 21 Texas Tech beginning at 4:30 p.m. (Phoenix time) on Tuesday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ohl, Carson (2-0)
L: Smith, Z. (1-1)
S: Cooper-Vassalakis, Brodie (2)
Batting:
2B: Bush Jr., Homer 1
HR: Verdusco, Cade 1 ; Buries, Elijah 1
RBI: Bush Jr., Homer 1 ; Verdusco, Cade 1 ; Buries, Elijah 1 ; Buckley, Josh 1
SH: Verdusco, Cade 1 ; Paton, Eli 1
SF: Buckley, Josh 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bush Jr., Homer 1 ; Verdusco, Cade 1 ; Buries, Elijah 2 ; Barreras, Emilio 1 ; Gregory, Zack 1
SB: Wilson, Jacob 1 ; Andeel, Maxwell 1 ; Buries, Elijah 1 ; Gregory, Zack 1
CS: Paton, Eli 1
PO: Paton, Eli 1
Batting:
2B: Williams, G. 1 ; Britt, L. 1 ; Tatrow, G. 1 ; Nielsen, J. 1
HR: Britt, L. 1
RBI: Williams, G. 2 ; Britt, L. 1
SH: Nielsen, J. 1 ; Parke, C. 1
SF: Williams, G. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Britt, L. 1 ; Martin, E. 1 ; Nielsen, J. 2
CS: Tatrow, G. 1
HBP: Parke, C. 1
Game Leaders
AB
6
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
RHP
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