Box Score PHOENIX, Ariz. -- A late-inning grand slam broke open a close game between the Omaha baseball team and Grand Canyon Saturday evening, as UNO fell 9-4 at Brazell Stadium. The Mavericks are now 6-5 (0-0 Summit League) on the season, while the Lopes improve to 6-4 (0-0 WAC) and even the series at 1-1.

Ethan Evanko (1-1) earned the win for GCU, allowing three runs -- two earned -- on five hits and a walk with one strikeout in his 6.0-inning start. Senior right-hander Marcus Ethen (0-1) took the loss, throwing 2.0 innings of relief and giving up five runs -- three earned -- off four hits and two free passes with three strikeouts.

Sophomore Adam Caniglia and freshmen Jack Kalina and Riley Herold each tallied two hits apiece for the night. Kalina also drove in a pair of runs, and Caniglia scored once.

Grand Canyon was led by a 3-for-5 night from Paul Panaccione, who also scored twice and had four RBI with his grand slam. Preston Pavlica was 2-for-4 and drove in three more runs.

The Mavericks jumped out early, putting up a quick two runs on two hits in the top of the first inning. Senior Cole Gruber drew a one-out walk and scored immediately with senior Clayton Taylor's RBI double down the right field line. Two batters later, Kalina's RBI single to short scored Taylor for a 2-0 lead.

GCU cut the Mavericks' lead in half in the bottom half of the inning, when Thomas Lerouge came in on Pavlica's single through the left side to make it 2-1.

The Mavericks got a run back in the third, as Gruber led off the inning by reaching on an error. He went to second on a single through the left side by freshman Grant Suponchick, advanced to third on a balk, then scored on an RBI groundout by Kalina, extending UNO's lead to 3-1.

The Lopes responded again in the bottom half of the frame, when Pavlica sent a two-out RBI single to left center to drive in Austin Bull. Grand Canyon added another run in the fifth with Pavlica's RBI groundout to plate Panaccione, stalling the game in a 3-3 tie. GCU then took the lead in the sixth on Zach Stierstorfer's sacrifice bunt that scored Zach Malis for the go-ahead run at 4-3.

In the eighth, the Lopes exploded for five runs on three hits and took advantage of two Omaha errors.  Ben Mauseth tallied GCU's first run on an error, and Panaccione blasted a grand slam to left, putting Grand Canyon up 9-3.

Omaha, held scoreless from the fourth to the eighth innings, mustered one last run in the ninth. Caniglia and Herold both singled and advanced on a wild pitch. Senior Collin Leif's pinch-hit sacrifice fly then scored Caniglia, bringing the final score to 9-4.

Omaha and Grand Canyon conclude their series on Sunday, March 6, with first pitch at 2 p.m. (CT) at Brazell Stadium in Phoenix, Ariz. A link to live stats will be available on OMavs.com.