GCU falls run shy in game featuring 6 homers

Tuesday, May 14

Provo, Utah

5 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

32-20

BYU

20-29

Grand Canyon

BYU

5/14/2024 7:46:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Lopes hit 2 homers in 1st 2 innings including Galvan's 1st of career

By: Josh Hauser

PROVO, Utah — Grand Canyon dropped its final nonconference game to BYU 8-7 on Tuesday night at Miller Park.

The game's first two innings featured eight combined runs. While the scoring calmed slightly the rest of the way, Tuesday's contest featured six home runs.

GCU (32-20, 21-6 WAC) lost for just the second time in the last 12 games, settling for a split of the season series with BYU (20-29, 6-21 Big 12).

Senior left fielder Tyler Wilson led off the game with his 14th home run of the season on the game's second pitch. Wilson extended his hitting streak to 21 games, most since Chad De La Guerra's 24-game hitting streak in 2015.

The Lopes allowed a lopsided bottom of the first with BYU scoring four times on only one base hit due to walks and a two-out, two-run error.

GCU erased that deficit, however, thanks to the first career home run from freshman catcher Marcus Galvan. The first two batters of the second inning reached base, and Galvan drove a ball to right-center to knot the score.

BYU outscored GCU 4-3 the rest of the way, largely on the strength of four home runs. The Lopes never let the Cougars run away with the game, narrowing the deficit to 8-7 headed to the ninth. But the Cougars turned to sure-handed closer Stone Cushing for his 10th save of the season.

GCU matched its season high from the batter's box with 13 strikeouts in the game.

The Lopes used 14 position players and five pitchers including six freshmen.

GCU concludes the regular season with a three-game series at Utah Valley beginning on Thursday.