Antelopes nearly knock off #2/#3 ASU

Grand Canyon nearly pulls upset of #2/#3 ASU

TEMPE, AZ - Grand Canyon gave Arizona State all it could handle on Tuesday evening in Tempe before the #2/#3 Sun Devils eked out a 4-2 win over the Antelopes.

Grand Canyon led 2-0 after its half of the sixth before finally succumbing to one of nation's powerhouse baseball programs. Nearly 4,000 fans filled Packard Stadium.

Senior pinch-hitter Colin Courtland (Litchfield Park, Ariz./Millennium) drove in both sixth-inning runs with a single.

Sophomore second baseman Gavin Tucker (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert) led off the inning with a single and sophomore center fielder Joey Bristyan (Scottsdale, Ariz./Horizon), trying to bunt the runner over, reached on a fielder's choice after Tucker was safe on an error.

A sacrifice bunt by senior third baseman Jay Green (Scottsdale, Ariz./Horizon) put both runners in scoring position prior to Courtland's hit.

Arizona State (12-0) is ranked No. 2 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball and No. 3 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the USA Today/ESPN poll. ASU received two first-place votes in the ESPN poll.

GCU dropped to 14-11 and will play host to Academy of Art in a pair of PacWest doubleheaders Friday (3 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m.) at Brazell Stadium.

After ASU leadoff hitter Drew Maggi opened the first with a single, GCU starter Jeff Urlaub (Scottsdale, Ariz./Horizon) and reliever Cody Repenning (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert) retired 14 batters in a row.

ASU tied the game in the sixth on a two-run double by Kole Calhoun and scored two unearned runs in the seventh.

Repenning tossed 4.2 innings of relief and gave up only one hit. He fanned three and walked two. ASU pitching retired the final 10 Antelope hitters.