Grand Canyon pulls away from Arizona as Wildcats take midweek loss

Arizona could not hold leads after the top of the first and fourth innings as they lost 11-5 at Grand Canyon on Tuesday night. The Wildcats opened the scoring with two in the first inning before the Lopes tied the game. Arizona scored a run in the top of the third, but Grand Canyon answered with three runs to permanently take the lead.

Garen Caulield and Aaron Walton gave Arizona a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when they scored on an error by Grand Canyon second baseman Scuba Smolinski. Grand Canyon answered in the bottom of the first inning when a single by Zach Yorke drove in two runs.

Arizona regained the lead on a Mathis Meurant sacrifice fly. Smolinski redeemed himself in the fourth inning with a two-run single that permanently put Grand Canyon in front. A Carson Ohland sacrifice fly extended the Grand Canyon lead to 5-2 after four innings. Eli Paton hit the only home run of the game to put Grand Canyon up 6-2.

Grand Canyon scored one in the sixth and created needed separation with four in the eighth to earn the six-run win. Arizona scored one in the eighth and one in the ninth for the victory. Seven different Grand Canyon batters had hits on Tuesday night, with Ohland and Yorke leading the Lopes with three RBIs each.

Walton led Arizona with three hits and two runs scored and Meurant topped the Wildcats with two RBIs. Arizona used eight different pitchers, with Kenan Elarton taking the loss in relief. Cam Cummings got the win in relief and Billy Gregory the save for Grand Canyon.

Arizona is at Arizona State this weekend. The Wildcats beat the Sun Devils 3-2 in Tucson on March 11. The Wildcats are 20-8 overall and 6-3, tied with Kansas for third place in the Big XII. The Sun Devils are 20-9 overall and 7-2 in the Big XII, one game behind Kansas State in the standings.