GCU rallies to clinch 18th straight WAC series

Saturday, April 5

Riverside, Calif.

5 p.m.

Grand Canyon

20-11, 7-1

California Baptist

17-14, 4-4

Grand Canyon

California Baptist

4/5/2025 8:28:00 PM | Baseball

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Lopes score 8 runs in game's final 3rd to defeat California Baptist

By: Josh Hauser

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A sixth-inning reset led to a late-game offensive surge as Grand Canyon rallied past California Baptist 11-5 on Saturday night at Totman Stadium.

Trailing 5-3 headed to the seventh, the Lopes (20-11, 7-1 WAC) scored eight unanswered runs across the final three innings to clinch their 18th consecutive conference series and 21st consecutive road conference series.

GCU sophomore starting pitcher Garrett Ahern was not his usual sharp self, but Lopes head coach Gregg Wallis pointed to Ahern's final inning — a 1-2-3 sixth inning — as the game's turning point.

"It started in the bottom of the sixth," Wallis said. "Garrett Ahern, he's been so great all year. And he didn't have his sharpest stuff in the middle innings. But then he regrouped in the sixth. He just gave us the momentum back."

Ahern battled through six innings and earned the win to move to 4-1 on the season.

"When the guys came into the dugout, we talked about let's win 7-8-9, and we did it," Wallis said.

Junior left fielder Michael Diaz sparked the comeback with a three-run homer in the top of the seventh — his second blast of the game — part of a 3-for-4, five-RBI performance.

"Michael Diaz just has had a great series," Wallis said. "He took the big swing there in the top half of the seventh. I feel like he's carried us all series."

Diaz has five hits, nine RBIs, four runs scored and three home runs in the first two games of the series.

Senior second baseman Eli Paton was also instrumental in the win, going 4-for-5 with three runs and three RBIs, including a solo homer and a clutch two-out, two-run double in the eighth.

"Eli's been outstanding all year," Wallis said. "Four hits tonight, the big home run, the huge double. That might have been one of the biggest hits of the game."

Paton's two-run double in the eighth came when the game was still tight at 6-5. He pushed GCU's lead to 8-5 and extended the inning, as the Lopes tacked on two more later in the frame.

Senior closer Walter Quinn shut the door, earning his seventh save with 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Quinn was called upon to record seven outs, entering amid a seventh-inning jam with the tying run on third. He retired the first six batters he faced and secured the victory.

"Walter is definitely our stopper," Wallis said. "It didn't matter that it was the seventh inning. We went to our best guy, and he did exactly what he's been doing for the past two years — he just shut it down."

GCU continued to hold its best record to start a season at 20-11 through 31 games. The Lopes have won six consecutive WAC games. GCU will look to continue both streaks and record a conference series sweep when the Lopes and Lancers meet for a series finale on Sunday at noon.