Arizona
Grand Canyon stuns Arizona in Tucson NCAA baseball regional
Paul Landry Quinsigamond Community College baseball
At 51 years old, and with a prosthetic lower right leg, Paul Landry is giving college baseball a shot for the first time this spring.
TUCSON — Two out, two strikes, bases loaded, a Hi Corbett Field record crowd of 8,798 screaming and waiting.
Eddy Pelc delivered in the biggest moment in Grand Canyon baseball history Friday night with a bases-clearing double over the center fielder’s head, fueling the Lopes’ first-ever NCAA regional victory, defeating host Arizona, the Tucson region’s No. 1 seed, 9-4.
Pelc’s hit gave GCU, the No. 4 seed, a 5-3 lead. He drove in another run in the eighth, and, just to make sure, Zach Yorke’s two-run double in the ninth sent the Wildcats into the loser’s bracket.
No. 3-seed West Virginia, which won its game earlier Friday, will meet GCU at 7 p.m., Saturday in the winner’s bracket. Arizona, the 13th overall seed in the 64-team NCAA Tournament, plays No. 2 Dallas Baptist at 1 p.m., Saturday for survival. The loser of that game will be eliminated.
Pelc’s hit came against Arizona’s hottest pitcher, Clark Candiotti, who had gotten into a groove after giving up an opening home run to Tyler Wilson and seeing another run cross the plate in the second.
But, after Arizona went up 3-2 against GCU left-hander Grant Richardson, the Lopes got their first hit since the second inning in the sixth when Yorke singled, after Candiotti walked Cade Verdusco.
Candiotti struck out cleanup hitter Eli Paton, before hitting Michael Diaz with a pitch. After getting Elijah Buries to look at a called third strike, it set the stage for Pelc with two outs.
“It was a high-pressure spot, a spot where we needed somebody to show up,” Pelc said. “I happened to be the guy to do it. I was trying to battle, put my best swing on the ball, stay in the box as long as I could and win that at-bat.”
After battling off pitch after pitch with foul balls, Pelc drove the ball. It appeared center fielder Brendan Summerhill took a step in before realizing how far Pelc hit Candiotti’s two-strike pitch. He watched the ball clear his head and off the wall, scoring three runs.
That gave GCU (35-23) a 5-3 lead.
Arizona (36-22) scored a run in the sixth after a Mason White double and an RBI single by Blake McDonald. Richardson then struck out Maddox Mihalakis with runners on the corners to end the inning.
That’s all Isaac Lyon, making a rare relief appearance, would need, pitching the final three innings of shutout ball for the lopes, giving up two hits and striking out four.
Lyon usually is the Saturday starter for GCU. But coach Gregg Wallis talked to pitching coach Nathan Bannister about having a lead in the seventh and how he wanted to go with Lyon to finish it out against the top seed in the regional.
“A tournament is different from the regular season,” Wallis said. “You can’t think traditionally. At least we didn’t want to think traditionally. We felt Isaac is one of our top two pitchers right now. We talked about it before the game, if we’re in the seventh inning and it’s tied or we have the lead, we’re going with Isaac.”
It paid off. And it made history for a team that a week ago was praying for a miracle to get into the NCAA Tournament, after getting knocked out of the WAC tournament with two losses in one day.
They only got in because WAC tournament winner Tarleton State wasn’t eligible because it was in the final season of the transition from D-II to D-I. That gave the regular-season champion, GCU, the automatic bid from the WAC.
It also gave the Lopes tremendous confidence knowing they were coming into Tucson, playing a team they had beaten two out of three times in the regular season with the last win coming a month ago, a 24-8 win at Hi Corbett Field.
Pelc said the team is playing with “house money.” Richardson was ecstatic to help give the program its first regional win, and in front of a sellout crowd.
“But we’re not done yet,” Richardson said.
Wallis said it was too soon to take in the historic moment for the GCU program. He was excited about the crowd, even though most of it was decked out in Wildcats’ red. He was excited for Wilson opening the game with a home run, for Richardson battling through UA’s three-run second after taking a hard liner off the knee, and for Pelc’s big hit.
Richardson ended up walking in a run after getting hit by the drive, but he got through the inning, and worked the next four innings, giving up just three hits and a run.
“I’m excited we came here and played great baseball,” Wallis said. “That’s what I told the boys after the game. I’m proud of them, not just because of what the scoreboard said. It was how we came out with intent to play great baseball. And we did it.”
Arizona coach Chip Hale said he hopes to see GCU again later in the tournament.
“We just didn’t play very well tonight,” Hale said. “They played well. They made the plays. They made some really hard ones. And we just didn’t play our best game.”
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
Arizona families looking to stretch their budgets this summer have a new option: Fry’s Food Stores has partnered with Upside, a free cash-back app that rewards users for everyday purchases like groceries, gas, and restaurant meals.
Shoppers download the app, link a payment card, and select offers before shopping or filling up to earn cash back. Rewards can be transferred directly to a bank account or redeemed as gift cards.
“Fry’s has now partnered with Upside. So Upside is a free app to download that helps you get all of those additional savings on gas, groceries, and restaurants,” Daniella Lerma, Fry’s Multicultural Specialist, said.
Are you a Smart Shopper? What are your go-to saving tips and tricks?
Share your deals or ways to save here!
The partnership means shopping at Fry’s can now unlock rewards at other businesses, including Circle K, Taco Bell, and movie theaters. According to Upside data, some Arizona users are saving up to $255 a year.
Upside says users can maximize savings by using the app across multiple purchases and combining it with existing rewards programs like Fry’s digital coupons and fuel points. Mike McNamee of Upside said people in Arizona have earned nearly half a million dollars in cash back in a short amount of time.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
Former Iowa State Cyclones star Milan Momcilovic is the player everyone is keeping an eye on during deadline day for prospects to make their final decision about the 2026 NBA Draft.
Will the sharpshooting forward keep his name in the player pool or withdraw to maintain his eligibility to play college basketball? Indications are leaning toward the latter, with NBA executives unanimously voting that he should return to school.
Which school would he be returning to? That is something that will have to be figured out because Momcilovic is currently in the transfer portal, as his focus has been entirely on the NBA draft and turning pro the last few weeks.
Recently, it was reported that the Arizona Wildcats were an emerging suitor for him. It looks as if they are going to have a void in their lineup at one of the forward spots with Koa Peat expected to remain in the NBA draft.
Is Arizona truly in the running for Milan Momcilovic?
However, that may have been more smoke and mirrors than their reported interest. As shared by Tristian Pharis of KY Insider and A Sea of Blue during an appearance on ESPN Radio Lexington, Arizona isn’t a team he has really heard connected to Momcilovic.
“I haven’t really heard Arizona. Most of the time it’s just the agent doing their job spreading rumors,” Pharis said, via their account on X.
Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68, who shared the Momcilovic and Wildcats connection, responded to the post saying, “It wasn’t the agent who gave me the info.”
It will certainly be something worth keeping an eye on because the former Iowa State star is the No. 1-ranked player in the transfer portal. Any team that lands him is going to have its 2026-27 season outlook changed drastically, and in a good way.
It wasn’t the agent who gave me the info.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 26, 2026
There may be some flaws in his skill set, which he is aware of, that made NBA teams hesitant to want to select him in the 2026 NBA Draft. But his 3-point shooting is a truly elite skill that will improve any program he elects to join.
The Kentucky Wildcats have been viewed as the favorites to land him. The St. John’s Red Storm and Louisville Cardinals have been mentioned as possible suitors as well before Arizona came into the mix.
Whoever lands a commitment from Momcilovic is going to be paying a pretty penny. Reportedly, he could command $7 million in the transfer portal.
This past season, AJ Dybantsa of the BYU Cougars had the highest NIL valuation, somewhere between $4.1 million and $4.4 million. There were reports that some of the top big men on the market this year could get upwards of $5 million, which makes the reported $7 million number for Momcilovic truly shocking.
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Phoenix double murder-suicide: Parental filicide happens ‘too often’
A child safety advocate is weighing in after a Phoenix mother shot and killed her two young children, before turning the gun on herself. FOX 10’s Taylor Wirtz learns more about the marital separation that was in the works and the push for legislative change in these types of situations.
PHOENIX – A Phoenix community is still reeling from the murder of two children who police say were killed by their own mother. A memorial of balloons and stuffed animals continues to grow in the neighborhood where it happened near 47th Avenue and Bell Road.
Big picture view:
A cousin explained that the children’s father and the rest of the family are still trying to process the incident. Another mother who knows the pain of losing her children in this way also spoke about the situation.
It is a tragedy community members are still wrapping their heads around.
“Our brains can’t conceptualize that a parent, of any kind, a mother or father, can possibly kill their own children,” said Hope Hooton, a child safety advocate.
The backstory:
Phoenix Police said 38-year-old Andrea Davis shot and killed her 18-month-old daughter and 10-year-old son, Austin, before killing herself at their home. Prior to the double murder-suicide, Glendale Police said she shot and wounded a woman who was with her husband, Nolan, in the parking lot of Tailgaters Sports Bar & Grill, located near 59th Avenue and Bell Road, texting him that she planned to hurt their children.
What we know:
“I can’t even imagine what my cousin’s going through right now,” said Felicia Queen, Nolan’s cousin.
Family members said the couple was heading toward a separation.
“Divorce papers were in the works,” Queen said.
Local perspective:
It is a pain that Hooton knows too well.
“It was 20 minutes away from where my children were murdered by their father in Surprise,” Hooton said.
Her two children were shot and killed by their father in 2024 following a custody dispute.
“My son Alec was seven, and my daughter Lydia was six,” Hooton said.
Dig deeper:
The act of killing one’s own children, filicide, is a term she wants everyone to know.
“From 2008 to 2024, there have been 989 filicide cases within the state of Arizona,” Hooton said.
Why you should care:
Hooton is now channeling her grief into change. The Alec and Lydia Act is now moving through the state legislature to protect children in custody disputes. Hooton shares this message with the Davis family.
“My heart is with you because I know exactly what you’re going through,” Hooton said.
What we don’t know:
It is not clear what the relationship is between Nolan and the woman shot in the Glendale parking lot, but when speaking with family members, they called her a friend.
What you can do:
Help is available. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. Support in Spanish is also available. You can also chat with crisis counselors via online chat.
CLICK HERE for the warning signs and risk factors of suicide.
What’s next:
Phoenix police say they did not have any prior calls for behavioral health or domestic violence to their home.
Phoenix police will investigate the murder-suicide. Meanwhile, Glendale police will investigate the bar shooting.
The Source: This information was gathered from the victim’s family member, a child safety advocate and previous FOX 10 reports.
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