PHOENIX – Tarleton State Baseball ended the weekend 1-2 against the Lopes after dropping the final pair of games to Grand Canyon.
Tarleton State (11-10, 2-4 WAC) was shut out by Grand Canyon (11-8, 5-2 WAC) in the final game of the weekend series with a 14-0 final in seven innings.
Jake Burcham (L, 0-2) got the start for the Texans giving up four runs on four hits, one walk and one strikeout in 2.1 innings on the mound.
Connor Mattison (W, 3-0) gave up no runs on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched.
The visitors fell at the mercy of the Lopes after three four-run innings.
Tarleton State compiled no runs on four hits. GCU tallied 14 runs on 17 hits with a pair of home runs and three doubles.
In the top of the first with two outs,
Cris Enriquez claimed the first hit with a single through the left side. A pair of walks saw
Austin Russell and
Trace Morrison on to load the bases, but a fly out to centerfield left three Texans stranded.
The Lopes were first on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first after a single to left field and a two-run home run.
Grand Canyon caught fire at the plate in the third with a double and a walk to see a pair of runners on. A homer over the right field wall gave the home team a 5-0 lead. A couple of singles and an error from the visitors saw another run come in for GCU, unearned.
The home team saw another four-run inning in the bottom of the fourth with three singles, one double and three Lopes walked for a 10-run lead.
Another four-run inning in the bottom of the sixth from GCU ultimately sealed the deal. Four singles, one double and one walk tallied 14 runs for the Lopes to shut out the visitors.
Tarleton State will return to Stephenville to host California Baptist for the third weekend of conference play. Friday will see a 6 p.m. start. Game 2 will take place on Saturday at 3 p.m. and the final game of the series will take place at 12 p.m.
