Lopes Drop 11-Inning Marathon to Kansas City

Saturday, March 29

GCU

1 p.m.

Grand Canyon

17-16, 2-1

Kansas City

11-25, 1-2

Kansas City

Grand Canyon

Lauren Regester finished with three hits on Saturday.

Photo by: Theon Carrier

3/29/2014 4:55:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

GCU takes two of three from visiting ‘Roos

After picking up a pair of wins in its first-ever WAC games on Friday night at Stapleton-Pierson Stadium, the Grand Canyon University softball team came up short against visiting Kansas City (11-25, 1-2) in an 11-inning marathon Saturday afternoon, dropping the midday decision, 4-2. After Saturday's loss in the series finale, the Antelopes move their record to 17-16 overall and 2-1 in league play.

"We didn't execute down the stretch and need to do a better job of putting teams away," said head coach Ann Pierson. "Peski threw well for us again today and continues to do a good job and keeps us in ball games."

Grand Canyon's starting pitcher, Stephanie Pesqueira, put the Lopes on the board in the home half of the third, as the senior laced a triple to deep-center and then scored on a Claire Zampini RBI single to give GCU the early 1-0 lead.

The game remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth when the visiting 'Roos plated a run to knot the game at 1-1.

For the second time in as many days, seven innings wasn't enough to decide a winner, as neither team strung together any more offense after the fifth, sending the game to extra-innings. The game remained at a stand-still until the top of the 10^th when Kansas City took the lead on a solo home run.

Grand Canyon answered in the bottom of the frame; as Zampini used her speed to stretch her base knock to center field into a double. Kayla Henry then punched an RBI single right back up the middle, sending Zampini across the plate and evening the score at 2-2.

Kansas City struck twice in the 11^th inning to regain the lead, 4-2, and then 'Roo pitcher, Katie Kelley, who started the contest in the circle and then re-entered in the 10^th, shut the door on Canyon's attempt to put together a rally in the bottom of the 11^th.

Pesqueira pitched the first nine innings for GCU, striking out five and giving up just one run. Taylor Nowlin, the winning pitcher in game two on Friday night, suffered the loss in relief, throwing the final two innings.

Lauren Regester led the Grand Canyon offense at the plate, tallying three hits and Haley Walker and Zampini recorded two hits in the series finale.

"We will get back to work this week in preparation for upcoming series at Bakersfield," concluded head coach Ann Pierson.

The Lopes will be back in action next when they travel to Bakersfield, Calif., for a three-game WAC series next Friday. Friday's 5 p.m. (Arizona Time) contest will be followed by a doubleheader on Saturday to conclude the series. Fans can check www.gculopes.com to follow all of the action next weekend from Bakersfield.

Kansas City 4, GCU 2