(St. George, UT) Grand Canyon sophomore left fielder Cade Verduscohit a go-ahead single in the top of the ninth to reclaim a Lopes lead and finish off a series sweep at Dixie State on Sunday afternoon.
The Lopes (23-11, 13-2 WAC) claimed their third conference sweep and won their sixth consecutive game with Sunday’s 6-5 result.
“Really all day Cade had taken big at bats,” GCU assistant coach Gregg Wallis said. “Even early in the game when he got to two strikes, he was battling and making solid contact. He had the big sac fly. It felt like he was locked in. He got a pitch up in the zone and he hit it hard and found a hole. Just a really good piece of hitting from Cade.”
After GCU saw its 5-2 lead erased with a three-run sixth inning by the Trailblazers, Lopes relievers Eli Ankeney and Vince Reilly posted three straight zeros. Reilly earned his ninth save of the season after tossing a scoreless bottom of the ninth after GCU just took the lead in the top half.
“Eli got in there and shut it down,” Wallis said. “He’s done that all year. Vince came in. You just feel really good when Eli and Vince come in. They’ve been doing it all year. The guys know when they’re out there, we have a great chance to win. They did it again. Eli was special again shutting them down for two. We needed it.”
Verudsco’s game-winning hit in the ninth was set up by a one-out double from Lopes sophomore first baseman Tyler Wilson who recorded a three-hit game. Dixie State elected to intentionally walk junior right fielder Tayler Aguilar to get to Verdusco, and he made the Trailblazers pay with a single through the left side.
The Trailblazers threatened in the ninth, picking up two more singles, but Reilly stranded the go-ahead run in scoring position with a game-ending pop out.
Dixie State grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the third, but the Lopes promptly responded in the top of the fourth with two of their own. Verdusco reached on a throwing error and scored on an RBI fielder’s choice from sophomore center fielder Homer Bush Jr. Senior third baseman Jonny Weaver picked up a two-out single to tie the score.
The Lopes kept adding on with two more runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth. Sophomore shortstop Jacob Wilson, Tyler Wilson and Aguilar teamed up for consecutive singles to load the bases in the fifth. Verdusco picked up a sac fly to push the Lopes in front and junior designated hitter Adrian Torres came up with a two-out single to score another.
In the sixth, sophomore second baseman Elijah Buries pulled off a rare inside-the-park home run on a ball to left field that almost left the yard for a traditional home run. It was Buries’ second home run of the season.
Part of a 14-hit afternoon for the Trailblazers, Dixie State picked up five hits in the sixth inning alone to score three runs and tie the score before the Lopes came back for the win.
For the first time this season, the Lopes will be off from midweek action, although a three-game weekend series against California Baptist will begin a day early on Thursday at GCU Ballpark.
Press Release courtesy of Grand Canyon University – Josh Hauser
Click on Logo
