GRAND FORKS, N.D.-- Both pitchers threw complete games but it was visiting Grand Canyon's Andrew Naderer that emerged victorious with a 3-1 win at Kraft Field Friday evening in the opener of a Western Athletic Conference series. Naderer took a lined shot back up the box in the third that struck him directly in the chest, but recovered to improve to 8-3 overall this season.

"We need to play well, perform and get results at this time of the season," UND head coach Jeff Dodson said of his team's many close losses this year. "We've had some areas that we could've been better in and we have to face the second and first place teams down the stretch here. We just have to play the way we're capable of playing in spurts during the year and be a little more consistent with it. We need to come out and get set to play tomorrow."

Grand Canyon (26-20, 15-7 WAC), who sits in second place but it ineligible for postseason play as it transitions to NCAA Division I, got Naderer an early lead and he took it from there. The Antelopes had back-to-back singles to open the third and both came around to score on a single through the right side for a 2-0 GCU lead over UND starter Andrew Thome.

North Dakota (10-24, 8-11) got one back in the fifth inning as Daniel Lockhert singled and Dalton Parrott punched one through the left side to start the frame. It was the first of three hits on the day for Parrott, who reached base in all four plate appearances Friday. Lockhert scored on a groundout to third but the inning was cut short on an out at third and the 'Lopes remained in front, 2-1.

They would get that run right back in the top of the next inning when a leadoff triple scored on a one-out single to stake the visitors to a two-run lead. GCU threatened with multiple runners in the seventh but a slick play by Luis Calvo at third helped thwart the rally as he threw home to cut down a runner.

From there, Thome did not allow another runner, getting two bounceouts, three flyouts and a strikeout to earn his third complete game of the season. But, his offfense couldn't deliver any more runs despite runners in scoring position several times over the final four frames.

A sacrifice bunt put a pair of runners in scoring position in the seventh with two down for UND, but a groundout ended that inning. In the eighth, Taylor Petersen stroked his team-leading 14th double of the season but was stranded. And, in the final inning, a double play grounder ended the ballgame and gave GCU the upper hand in the series.

Thome dropped to 2-6 on the season, allowing 12 hits over nine innings but just six of those over the final six frames. He struck out three and walked three batters with all three runs earned.

Parrott was 3-for-3 to lead UND's offense while Petersen chipped-in a pair of hits.

Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 3:00 p.m. at Kraft Field.