PHOENIX — Sophomore Josh Rolling finished 2-to-4 with a home run and a pair of RBIs to bet Hornet for an early lead in sophomore Jorge Bojorquez added two more hits for his second straight game, but visiting Sacramento State could not hold the Grand Canyon hosts, who scored seven goals to win 7-4 on the evening. Saturday at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark in Phoenix, Ariz.
The loss sent the Hornets down 24-22 overall and 14-12 in a Western Athletic Conference match headed for Sunday’s rubber match of the series at Noon. ‘Lopes, who has picked up scoring points from five different players, improved to 32-16 overall and 18-5 in the league.
Rolling’s home run is his seventh of the year, putting him second in the group behind Cesar Valero, and recorded his ninth hit game of the season. Bojorquez, meanwhile, also finished 2-4 with a scoring record just 24 hours after posting three shots in the series opening win. It was the Arizona-born player’s 15th most appearances of the season, with a team lead overall.
Daniel Avitia (6-4) clinched the win for the Grand Canyon, allowing three runs with four hits and getting 14 out of seven working rounds before making way for Eli Ankeney in the eighth, who allowed the run. twice and beat a pair in the last two innings.
Max Petty (2-1) relieved to lose, allowed to run twice with three hits in three innings while attacking five after winning the right to start Kevin Hayneswho stuck with a no decision after surrendering three times with five hits in the first three innings.
For the second night in a row, it was the Hornets who took the lead before Rolling’s blast scored the second Trevor Doyle lead him to a 2-0 lead. Followed by a trio of words Martin Vincelli-Simard in the third half, scoring for Bojorquez from the start with two goals to give him a 3-0 advantage.
‘Lopes responded with three runs in their third half on a pair of RBI singles and a sacrificial fly, and led for the fifth with a Jacob Wilson RBI single, plated by Juan Colato, who multiplied double in the previous section at -bat.
The Grand Canyon added one more run in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh to take control as ‘Lopes kept the Hornets unbeaten from fourth to ninth as Rolling hit singles and scored on Keith Torres‘two-out triple to center for the final 7-4 score. GCU retired 17 of the top 18 players in that period, allowing only one runner to approach with a hit on target in the seventh game.
