Elijah Buries scored the game-winning run for Grand Canyon. (Shotgun Spratling)

WAC: As Designed, Grand Canyon Takes First Tournament Title

MESA, Ariz. — The culmination of Andy Stankiewicz’s designs played out Saturday evening at Hohokam Stadium with Grand Canyon coming from behind to win its first WAC Tournament championship, 5-4, and advance to the program’s first regional appearance. 

His Lopes (39-19-1) did all the small things. They worked counts. They battled with two strikes. They hustled out of the box. They beat out routine ground balls. They took the extra base. They gave themselves up to score a run. That was by design, helping Stankiewicz’s team rally from a 4-1 deficit, scoring twice in the sixth inning to get within[…]