GCU Gets DH Split; Wins PacWest Series Over Hilo, 3-1

Wednesday, March 21

Phoenix, AZ

12 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Hawai'i Hilo

Kayla Henry set a new school record for triples in a season with her sixth in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader.

3/21/2012 5:31:00 PM | Softball

With a 9-1 win in the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader with Hawai’i Hilo, Grand Canyon won its four-game Pacific West Conference series over the Vulcans, 3-1.

Hilo won Wednesday’s opener 6-4. GCU swept Tuesday’s doubleheader.

“Anytime you win three of four in a conference series and against a team as talented as Hilo, it’s big,” said Grand Canyon coach Ann Pierson.

The Antelopes are 15-9 overall and 6-2 in the PacWest. Hilo dropped to 13-6 and 8-5. GCU is third in the conference standings, three games behind league-leader Hawai’i Pacific (17-5, 11-1) and one-game behind second-place California Baptist (23-4, 9-3).

In the Game 2 win, Kiki Sepulveda threw four innings of one-hit relief. She retired the first nine batters faced to earn her second win of the series and improve to 3-1 on the season.

“She came in and shut them down. She continued where she left off (Tuesday),” said Pierson. “Our pitchers pick each other up. They’re a tight-knit group.”

GCU got all the runs it needed with a seven-run second inning. The big hit of the inning was a three-run double from Kelsey Barak. Kayla Henry had an RBI-single in the inning and set a new school single-season mark with her sixth triple of the season in a two-run third inning.

Henry went 9-for-12 in the series and upped her batting average from .258 to .333. She is one of the nation’s leaders in triples and is tied for the top spot in the country in toughest to strikeout. Henry has yet to fan in 91 plate appearances.

In the opener, GCU ran out of time after battling back from a 6-0 deficit. Reliever Danielle Legee held the Vulcans in check while the offense tried to rally. Legee threw four innings of no-hit relief and walked only one.

“She pitched as well as she has in the two years she’s been here,” said Pierson. “She commanded her zone well and pitched to her counts well. She mixed speeds and her mound composure was outstanding.”

GCU tried to chip away with the lead, getting a run each in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh innings.

Stephanie Smith had hits in all four games of the series and owns the longest current hitting streak at seven. Henry has hit in six straight and Barak and Vanessa Chavez, who tripled in the seventh inning of Game 1, have hit in five straight. It is the longest streak of the year for Smith, Henry and Chavez. Barak owns the team’s longest streak of the season at 13 and is hitting a team-best .400 for the year.

GCU continues its 10-game PacWest homestand with a doubleheader Saturday with Chaminade. First pitch is scheduled for noon. It will be the team’s annual Breast Cancer Awareness Day at the ballpark.

The homestand ends with a four-game series with Hawai’i Pacific Monday and Tuesday. Games will start at noon both days.
Fans unable to attend the games can follow the action with live stats at www.GCULopes.com.

UHH 6, GCU 4
GCU 9, UHH 1 (5 innings)