PHOENIX – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros baseball team, which is receiving votes in the latest NCBWA poll, fell to the Grand Canyon University Lopes 8-4 in game one of a doubleheader on Saturday at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark.
 
The loss snaps the Vaqueros' (8-5, 1-1 WAC) six-game winning streak.
 
The Vaqueros trailed 2-0 after an inning. In the third, however, the Vaqueros put two on with one out to set up a three-run home run by graduate student Conrado Diaz. It was Diaz's second-career home run, both of which have come at GCU Ballpark following a grand slam on April 14, 2019.
 
The Lopes (4-8-1, 1-1 WAC) got one of those runs right back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI-single by Elijah Buries.
 
The Lopes regained the lead on a fielder's choice in the fifth. In the sixth, however, junior DeAndre' Shelton responded with an RBI-fielder's choice of his own to tie the game at 4.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, junior Ricky Gerik Jr. (0-2) walked two of the first three batters he faced. Another walk loaded the bases and then Buries hit a two-run single. One out later, Dominic Grissom hit a two-run double to put the Lopes up 8-4.
 
That made a winner of Frankie Scalzo (1-1), who recorded the final five outs, striking out two.

UTRGV and Grand Canyon play game two of this doubleheader at approximately 6:10 p.m. Fans can watch for free online at WACDigitalNetwork.com.

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