Recap: Late Three-Run Inning Leads GCU over @NCBearsBaseball

Friday, March 30

Greeley, Colo.

1 p.m.

University of Northern Colorado

16-12, 1-4

Grand Canyon University

12-13, 5-0

Grand Canyon

Northern Colorado

3/30/2018 8:39:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Northern Colorado was unable to hold on to the lead and fell 9-6 to Grand Canyon

By: By Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – A three-run seventh led to Grand Canyon squeaking past Northern Colorado Friday afternoon for a 9-6 victory to claim the series. The Bears, battled back from down by one run a pair of times and even led 5-3 through four, but could not hold onto the lead.

How It Happened
The Lopes struck first on Friday with a run in the second to lead 1-0 before UNC responded in the bottom half of the inning. Dean Lawson doubled to center, scoring Brett Minnick who walked to lead off the inning. Northern Colorado then took the lead as Lawson scored on a sacrifice fly from Matt Burkart.

Grand Canyon tied the game in the third and took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth. The Bears took the lead in the bottom half of the fourth. A productive out from Cole Maltese led to Lawson scoring the game-tying run after he walked. With two outs, Burkart launched his sixth home run of the season with a two-run shot to make it 5-3.

GCU tied the game back up at five with a pair of hits and then a sac fly and groundout. A three-run home run from Ian Evans. They added on an insurance run in the top of the ninth to build its lead to 9-5. UNC tried to work a late comeback as Tyler Yamaguchi had a ground out to score Jack Pauley, but that would be the end of the rally.

Game Changer
Grand Canyon's top four batters each recorded two hits in the game and scored seven of the team's eight runs. Ian Evans, the clean-up hitter, drove in four runners.

Stat to Know
Northern Colorado had its chances on Friday to extend the lead or get back in the game, but they stranded 10 runners.

Game Notes
- Five Bears had multi-hit games, all with two hits. Those five were Cole Maltese, Matt Burkart, Jack Pauley, Evan Johnson and Dean Lawson.
- Burkart was the big bat for the team, driving in three runs including a two-run home run.

What's Ahead?
The Bears and Lopes close out the three-game series tomorrow afternoon at noon. Northern Colorado looks to avoid a series sweep.

To stay up to date on all things UNC baseball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Twitter at @NCBearsBaseball.