PHOENIX – Utah Valley University suffered its third straight loss, falling 5-2 to Grand Canyon University on Sunday at GCU Ballpark in Western Athletic Conference action.
With the win the Lopes (17-14, 8-1) swept the series from the Wolverines (12-18, 4-5) and improved to 5-0 on the week including two midweek wins over UNLV.
Jackson Overlund and
Ryan Eastburn had two hits apiece for UVU with Eastburn also driving in a run. Quin Cotton had three hits and drove in two for Grand Canyon.
Utah Valley scored first, getting consecutive base hits from Overlund and Eastburn to put runners at first and third with nobody out to start the second.
Jake Berry hit a grounder to third to drive in Overlund for the first run of the game.
Grand Canyon tied it in the fourth after Ian Evans was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice and scored when Tyler Wyatt singled with two outs. Wolverine second baseman
David Modler made a diving stop on ball to his left off the bat of David Avitia to preserve the tie and end the inning.
The Lopes used small ball again in the fifth to take a 2-1 lead. Marc Mumper singled to begin the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before Quin Cotton singled the next pitch into right-center to plate Mumper.
The Wolverines threatened in the sixth, loading the bases with two outs, but left the bases stranded.
Another leadoff base hit and sac-bunt helped lead to another GCU run in the sixth. Zach Malis reached on a base hit, moved to second when Preston Pavlica sacrificed him over and moved to third on a base hit to center from Wyatt. Malis later came in on a wild pitch before Mumper delivered a two-out base hit to right to score Pavlica and make it 4-1.
In the eighth, Howell walked and Modler singled to put two on to start the inning. After a groundout and a strikeout had the runners on second and third with two down, Eastburn had a two-out RBI base hit to left to plate Howell and make it a 4-2 game.
Berry then walked to load the bases and the Lopes went to the bullpen for closer Mick Vorhof to face pinch hitter
Ethan Payne. Vorhof got Payne to fly out to right to strand the bases full and preserve the two-run lead. GCU would add an insurance run in the eighth on a base hit by Cotton for the final 5-2 tally.
Kaden Schmitt (3-1) started and lasted 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits with a pair of strikeouts and took the loss.
Ondrej Sebek pitched an inning scoreless relief, stranding an inherited runner in the process. Ethan Evanko (1-1) lasted six innings and struck out seven, surrendering one run on four hits to pick up the win. Mick Vorhof pitched the final 1.1 innings to pick up his fourth save of the season and second of the series. Vorhof retired all seven hitters he faced in the series.
Utah Valley will play the first of two games against the University of Utah on Tuesday at 6 p.m. from Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City. UVU and Utah will also meet on Tuesday, April 17 at UCCU Ballpark. The Wolverines then return home for a three-game series against CSU Bakersfield starting Friday at 6 p.m. MT.
