Barreras' game-winning double flips script in 9th

Friday, May 9

Stanford, Calif.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

29-20

Stanford

24-22

Grand Canyon

Stanford

Photo by: Josh Hauser

5/9/2025 10:26:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Lopes open series by rallying to 4-3 win at Stanford

By: Josh Hauser

STANFORD, Calif. — Grand Canyon delivered a thrilling, come-from-behind 4-3 win over Stanford on Friday night, highlighted by a clutch two-run double from junior shortstop Emilio Barreras with two outs in the ninth inning at Sunken Diamond.

Down 3-2 entering the final frame, the Lopes mounted a late rally sparked by a leadoff single from senior left fielder Michael Diaz and an ensuing pinch-hit knock from sophomore Billy Scaldeferri. Junior catcher Brody Sexton laid down a successful sacrifice bunt to set the table, and Barreras delivered with a line drive that could not be corralled by a diving left fielder. Barreras finished 2 for 5 with two RBIs, both coming on the double.

"It was cool," Barreras said. "I had tough at bats in the beginning, but I stayed positive. I just knew that somehow, some way, I was going to get a shot to do something huge."

GCU (29-20) trailed for eight innings before the late rally. Redshirt junior closer Walter Quinn cleaned things up in the bottom of the ninth, retiring the side in order for his 10th save. Quinn is the nation's 16th pitcher to reach double digits in saves.

"Emilio came up big that whole ninth inning," said GCU head coach Gregg Wallis, also referring to Barreras gloving a sharp ground ball for the first out of the ninth. "All phases showed up again tonight — we pitched, played great defense, put the bat on the ball at a high rate and ran the bases really well. Just an exciting win."

GCU responded to Stanford's two-run first with a run in the second. Sophomore designated hitter Cannon Peery opened the frame with a single, and junior right fielder Josh Wakefield drove him in.

The Lopes cut a two-run deficit in half with a run in the fifth. Wakefield and Barreras singled, and one run scored on an RBI double from graduate center fielder Eddy Pelc, who went 3 for 5 for his fifth multi-hit game in the past seven games.

GCU got six innings from junior starting pitcher Isaac Lyon and scoreless relief from senior Gray Bailey, junior Jace Smith (who earned the win) and Quinn.

The victory marked GCU's third straight and showcased the team's postseason potential.

"This game felt like a regional," Barreras said of a facility that hosted regionals in three of the last four seasons. "And we proved we belong on the same field."

The series continues on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

In the WAC race elsewhere, Sacramento State lost 14-2 at Utah Valley in a run-rule, seven-inning game to bring GCU (13-8) into a first-place tie with Sacramento State (12-7). The Hornets play two more weekend games at Utah Valley (13-9) to catch up to the Lopes' conference games total.