ARLINGTON, Texas – Grand Canyon University beat the University of Texas at Arlington in the first of the three-game series by a score of 7-5 at Clay Gould Ballpark on Friday.

The matchup between the two teams was a close one throughout all nine innings with UTA being up by one run at the end of the fourth inning. Neither team scored in the fifth, but GCU took the lead by scoring three runs in the top of the sixth inning to secure the lead.

GCU turned the game around at the top of the sixth. Tyler Wilson was the first to bat and hit a triple to start off the inning. Dustin Crenshaw was walked. Wilson scored off of a wild pitch and Crenshaw advanced to second. Crenshaw scored the second run for GCU off a single hit to right center by Alton Gyselman. Emilio Barreras doubled through the right side and Gyselman advanced to third. Gyselman then scored the last run of the inning for GCU off of a wild pitch.

Although this was a tough loss for UTA, the team plans to follow the same game plan and just attack earlier in the game for their second matchup against GCU.

“Tomorrow we’re gonna come out and do the same thing,” UTA third baseman Kyzer Harrington said. “We’re just gonna try and attack them early and just get our boys going. Keep the same energy. We had great energy tonight and just keep it going and get at them early.”

In this game, there were five doubles (Eddy Pelc, Eli Paton, Barreras, JD Moreno and Harrington), 1 triple (Wilson) and a home run (Tyson Pointer).

Harrington went 1-3 in the game. He hit his first double of the season, was hit-by-pitch, and struck out.

“Felt good man, first double of the year,” Harrington said. “Just felt good to get it under my belt and get many more and keep going.”

UTA put in Zach Norris and Jacob Hasty as the pitchers for the game. Norris pitched for 5.1 innings and gave up nine hits and six runs. Hasty pitched for 3.2 innings, giving up four hits and one run. GCU put in Carter Young, Hunter Watkins, Walter Quinn and Nathan Ward. Young pitched for four innings, surrendering five hits and four runs. Watkins gave up four hits and one run in 2.1 innings of work. Both Quinn and Ward pitched for 1.1 innings, with Quinn surrendering one hit.

After the first game of the series, GCU has a win-loss record of 18-15, 10-13 in the WAC. UTA has an overall record of 14-20, 9-7 in the WAC.

To hear an audio clip of a postgame interview with Harrington, please click here.