PHOENIX, AZ— The Lancers returned to
Brazell Field to take on the Lopes in the second game of the series and fell to GCU 8-2 on Friday night. The Lancers went ahead in the first inning, but the Lopes quickly tallied three runs in the second and continued to build on a lead CBU couldn't catch. The Lancers move to 28-27 overall and 15-14 in conference play.
Michael Carpentier picked up the first RBI of the night with a single that scored
Mitchel Simon for a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Lopes answered with three runs in the bottom of the second; all scored with two outs in the inning.
CBU's night was marked by a record broken in the third inning by
Dustin Garcia, who hit his 19
th home run of the season and surpassed Ryan Mota (2019) in single-season Division I Era home runs. Garcia's solo shot put the Lancers within one of the Lopes' lead as they headed into the fourth.
Grand Canyon picked up another pair of runs in the fourth but broke open the game in the fifth with three homer for a six-run lead. Nate
Hemmerling took the mound in the eighth inning and sat down three Lopes in order to keep GCU scoreless before
CBU's final inning at-bat.
Cole Howarth delivered a two-run shot to cut the Lancer's deficit to four runs, but the squad couldn't ultimately pull out the comeback.
California Baptist ended the night with fourteen hits off the GCU pitching staff, led by Carpentier. The catcher picked up three hits and one RBI on the night, while Garcia ended with two hits and one RBI. Howarth collected three hits and a pair of RBI as well.
CBU will finish out the regular season on Sunday afternoon in the series finale against GCU, beginning at noon.
