BOX SCORE Grand Canyon 6, #23 Sonoma State 2 -- Box Score  |  Archived Video Broadcast

Post-Game Press Conference

ST. GEORGE, Utah -- Scott Harkin and Shawn Walters each brought home a run on sacrifice flies, but it would be the only offense by the Sonoma State baseball team in Friday's 6-2 loss to Grand Canyon on day two of the 2013 NCAA Division II West Regional at Bruce Hurst Field in St. George, Utah. 

The loss drops the No. 2 seed Seawolves (35-21) into the one-loss bracket, which sets up an elimination game with top seed and CCAA-foe Cal State Monterey Bay (39-16) on Saturday at 2:00 pm Pacific Time.  The No. 4 seed Antelopes (36-16) advances to play No. 6 seed Chico State (36-16) at 10:00 am Pacific on Saturday for the right to move on to Championship Sunday.  Host and No. 3 seed Dixie State and No. 5 seed Cal State L.A. were eliminated from the regional on Friday with losses to Chico and CSUMB, respectively.

In almost a blink of an eye, Sonoma State starter Glenn Wallace and the Seawolves found themselves trailing when Grand Canyon's Brian Kraft belted a 1-1 pitch to left center field for a leadoff double, advanced to third on a groundout, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Michael Pomeroy.  An inning later, the Antelopes continued to put pressure on SSU, taking advantage of two defensive errors to plate a pair of unearned runs for the 3-0 lead.  Two more GCU runs, also unearned, came across in the bottom of the third after a two-out throwing error extended the frame for the 'Lopes to put them up 5-0.

Meanwhile, GCU starter Jorge Lopez cruised through the SSU lineup, retiring 12 of the first 13 batters he faced, allowing just one base runner in Justin Serrao, who singled with two outs in the third.  However, the Seawolves got a run back in the fifth when Devon Zenn, who drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a hit by Montgomery and took third on a wild pitch, scored on a sacrifice fly by Walters to get within four runs at 5-1.

A half inning later, Grand Canyon's Charles Wagner smashed a 2-0 pitch the opposite way and watched it sail over the left center field fence leading off the bottom of the fifth to put GCU's lead back up to five, this time at 6-1.

Sonoma managed another run on another sacrifice fly off the bat of Harkin in the seventh, but that would be it for the Seawolves as Lopez (7-4) earned the complete game victory, allowing just six hits and two walks, striking out five in his winning effort.

Wallace suffered just his second loss of the season, falling to 9-2.  The reigning CCAA and West Region Pitcher of the Year, allowed six runs (just two of them earned) on nine hits and one walk, striking out one in five innings of work.  Jon Richards came on in relief at the bottom of the sixth, retiring the first eight batters he faced, giving up one hit in the final three innings.  Montgomery had a pair of hits and Zenn, who went 1 for 3, scored both of SSU's runs on the night.

To bring home its third west region title in six years, Sonoma State will have to win four straight elimination games, starting with Saturday's 2:00 pm PDT matchup with Cal State Monterey Bay.  Should the Seawolves defeat the Otters, SSU would need to beat the loser of Saturday's 10:00 am PDT game between Chico State and Grand Canyon at 6:00 pm PDT on Saturday, then knock off the winner of the aforementioned game between Chico and GCU twice on Sunday.