GCU snaps No. 9 Oregon's 11-game win streak

Tuesday, March 11

Eugene, Ore.

4 p.m.

Grand Canyon

12-4

Oregon

14-3

Grand Canyon

Oregon

Photo by: Nathan Peters

3/11/2025 7:19:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Lopes hold nation's No. 5 scoring offense to 2 runs

By: Josh Hauser

EUGENE, Ore. — Grand Canyon snapped No. 9 Oregon's 11-game win streak with a 4-2 victory on Tuesday evening at PK Park.

The Lopes (12-4) have won five straight games and have taken six of their last seven games against top-25 teams dating back to last season.

"Today felt like a regional," GCU head coach Gregg Wallis said. "Every pitch mattered, every play mattered, every at bat mattered. Tomorrow it's even going to be heightened."

In its 14-2 start, Oregon's offense ranked fifth in the nation in scoring at 11.1 runs per game. A four-man GCU pitching staff limited the Ducks to just two runs.

Freshman Gunnar Penzkover, senior Barrett Skaugrud, junior Cam Cunnings and senior Walter Quinn scattered nine hits and struck out eight batters. Skaugrud earned his first win at GCU, while Quinn picked up his fourth save of the season.

"It was the entire pitching staff starting with Gunnar to give up only one run over four innings to a team like Oregon," Wallis said. "That was an incredible job by Gunnar. The rest of the pitching staff as well. Barrett came in and threw great. Cam came in in some really high-leverage situations and was great. That's the best I've seen Walter all year long. It was a tremendous effort from our entire pitching staff."

The Ducks smashed the first pitch they saw over the fence in left-center to grab a 1-0 lead that held until the seventh.

GCU took its first lead in what proved to be the game-winning three-run seventh inning.

For the second consecutive game, sophomore left fielder Carson Ohland hit a game-tying home run. It was followed by a double from sophomore catcher Marcus Galvan and a walk by pinch-hitting sophomore Kade Huff. After an errant pickoff attempt got away to score Galvan, junior right fielder Josh Wakefield singled in Huff to make it 3-1.

Wakefield followed up his RBI hit in the top of the seventh by flashing his throwing arm in the bottom of the seventh. Oregon's leadoff runner walked and moved to second on a balk. He was thrown out at the plate by Wakefield when trying to score from second on a base hit to right.

GCU tacked on an insurance run in the eighth on a two-out single up the middle by Galvan.

Oregon got a run back in the eighth, but Quinn entered and retired the four Ducks he faced in order.

For the first time this season, GCU was without junior shortstop Emilio Barreras — an anchor at shortstop and the team's leading hitter. The Lopes responded in some new roles to his late scratch from the starting lineup.

"Emilio's got to be an All-American right now, one of the best players in the country," Wallis said. "We find out after batting practice that he can't play. We just all stuck together and found a way to get it done. The guys just pulled together and the guys in the middle of the field played great. Troy (Sanders) played great at short. Billy (Scaldeferri) played great at second, hit a big double, got a big bunt down. So it's always going to be a team effort and we picked up Emilio today."

Galvan had a big three-hit day — the first of his career — to pace the GCU offense. Junior first baseman Zach Yorke also posted a multi-hit effort with two hits.

GCU and Oregon will square off again on Wednesday.

"It's a new day," Wallis said. "We know this trip is going to be extremely difficult. They're going to come out with some more energy, and it's a really good team. They're at home, they've got some pride. We're going to have to be ready to go from pitch one again tomorrow."

First pitch at PK Park is again set for 4 p.m. on B1G+.