Gordon Wend's five-inning no-hitter in Game 1 Saturday set the tone as the Grand Canyon University Club Baseball team used that momentum to sweep the University of Arizona in the teams' three-game Southern Pacific South Conference series. The 10-0 Lopes' win in the first game was followed by a nailbiting 3-2 victory in Saturday's nightcap, then GCU used a five-run 8^th inning to pull away in Sunday's final game, 10-2. The sweep solidified the Lopes' hold on 2^nd place in the SoPac South behind San Diego State University, improving GCU's conference mark to 7-2 with six conference games left to play.
 
Game 1 (Saturday):  GCU 10, Arizona 0 (F/5)
 
With Arizona being forced to postpone this series, which was originally scheduled for early March, the Lopes had to scramble to take the series on 72 hours' notice, but Wend showed no signs of being annoyed by it. The junior righthander walked the first batter to face him, struck out the next five hitters in a row (eight on the day), and was off and running from there. The Wildcats managed just three baserunners off Wend the entire game – all from walks – and never got anyone past 1^st base. Meanwhile, the Lopes did the majority of their damage in the 4^th innings, sending 11 to the plate and tagging Wildcats' starting pitcher Byron Fredrikson for eight runs on seven hits (six of them singles). Lopes' leftfielder Caden Rogers led the way for GCU, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs batted in.
 
Game 2 (Saturday): GCU 3, Arizona 2
 
While the Wildcats' offense only managed three hits off the Lopes' pitching duo of Connor Bates and Tyler Soren, they made them count and nearly pulled off the upset. A two-run single by GCU outfielder Brady Steenson in the 4^th finally broke a scoreless tie, but the lead lasted only a few minutes as an RBI groundout by UA's Jakob Admon and a Lopes' error allowed the Wildcats to tie it at 2-2 after four. After leaving a pair of runs in scoring position in the 5^th, GCU broke the tie in the 6^th on a Fredrikson error that allowed Alex Bruce to score from 3^rd base. A leadoff walk to Danny Martin in the bottom of the 7^th gave Arizona hope, but Soren struck out Bryce Andersen, watched his battery mate, Caisen Medina, gun down Martin trying to steal 2^nd base, then got Griffin Loughran on a foul popup to end the game. Soren struck out six over three innings of hitless relief to get the win, while Steenson's two hits and two RBI powered the Lopes' offense.
 
Game 3 (Sunday):  GCU 10, Arizona 2
 
The final score didn't indicate how close most of the game was, since the teams scored one run combined in the first five innings. A three-run 6^th gave the Lopes some insurance, but it wasn't until a Koa Manintin double and Kyo Ohsato triple helped the Lopes plate five runs in the 8^th that they could finally breathe easy. Lopes' starting pitcher Sam Ott did his part, scattering five hits and one Wildcats' run while fanning nine hitters over his eight innings of work to get the win. Three-hit days by both Manintin and Rogers kept the Lopes afloat, and five extra-base hits (including three triples) didn't hurt.
 
The Lopes (9-10 overall) now head west for the battle for 1^st place in the conference this weekend. They'll battle San Diego State in a three-game set beginning Saturday, April 13 at 10AM. GCU will then come home to finish off the regular season schedule with a crucial three-game conference series against Northern Arizona University April 20 and 21 at Colter Field on the GCU campus. First pitch both days will be at 10AM, and admission is FREE.