Upcoming Event: Softball versus Pima CC on September 30, 2025 at 6 p.m.
Softball
6 p.m.
vs Pima CC
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, April 25
Seattle, WA
4 p.m.
Grand Canyon
26-17, 11-2
4
at
3
Seattle U
16-31, 5-8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Grand Canyon
0
0
3
0
1
0
0
4
8
1
Seattle U
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
3
4
5
Claire Zampini tallied four hits at the dish on Friday.
Photo by: Theon Carrier
Lopes Split With Seattle U, Clinch Share of WAC Regular Season Title
4/25/2014 8:53:00 PM | Softball
GCU can win WAC regular season crown outright with win Saturday
The Grand Canyon University softball team (26-18, 11-3 WAC) earned a share of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) regular season title after splitting with Seattle U (17-31, 6-8 WAC) at Logan Field in Seattle Friday. The Antelopes outlasted the host Redhawks in game one, 4-3, before dropping the nightcap, 4-2. Grand Canyon can win the WAC regular season crown outright with a win tomorrow or a New Mexico State loss.
"Peski did what she had to and the defense was solid behind her in game one," said head coach Ann Pierson. " I was happy to see our offense get on the board early, but we left too many runners on."
Game One
After neither team was able to push across a run in the first two innings, Kelsey Barak put the Lopes on the board in the top of the third. The junior shortstop picked up her team-leading 38th RBI of the year, dropping a single to right field, scoring Claire Zampini who had reached on a bunt-single to lead off the frame. Canyon wasn't done at the plate, as Nicole Newbury singled, plating Haley Walker. Camree Wartman later smacked a two-bagger to the left-center gap to score Barak to give GCU a 3-0 lead.
The Redhawks answered in the home half of the fourth, scoring three times to knot the game at 3-3.
Grand Canyon bounced back and regained the lead in the top of the fifth. Barak led off the inning driving a single to left field and later came around to score to make the score 4-3 in favor of the Lopes.
Stephanie Pesqueira continued her dominance in the circle, picking up her conference-leading 14th win of the season. The senior hurled all seven innings, surrendering three runs on four hits and struck out a pair of Redhawk batters. Pesqueira has not suffered a loss in her last 14 starts for Canyon.
Zampini and Barak led the way at the plate, as both notched three hits at the dish in Friday's first contest.
Game Two
The Lopes had their eight-game winning streak snapped in game two, falling 4-2 to Seattle U. The Redhawks struck four times in the bottom of the second to jump out to an early lead.
Grand Canyon rallied in the top of the seventh, scoring twice to cut the deficit in half before its rally was halted by Redhawk relief pitcher Mandie Sugita. The pair of seventh inning runs came when pinch-hitter Stephanie Pesqueira drilled an RBI single to right field, scoring Nicole Newbury. Claire Zampini followed with an RBI single of her own, pushing Camree Wartman across the plate.
Taylor Nowlin was tagged with the loss, moving her record to 5-5. Kiki Sepulveda entered in relief and didn't allow an earned run in five innings of work.
Wartman notched two hits in three trips to the dish in Friday's second game.
"We weren't consistent enough in game two and we hit too many fly balls," said Pierson. "I thought Kelsey, Claire, and Camree all had some great at-bats today and I liked their approach at the plate."
"We have to win tomorrow and the kids will come out with a renewed sense of purpose," concluded Pierson. "We need to keep fighting and accomplish this last goal of ours."
The Lopes will look to win the WAC regular season title outright when they wrap up their final conference series of the season with a 2 p.m. (Arizona Time) tilt at Logan Field tomorrow. GCU will conclude its 2014 season with a three-game non-conference series with Utah in Salt Lake City May 9-10. Fans can find a link for live stats to follow the action from the tomorrow's series finale at www.gculopes.com.
GCU 4, Seattle U 3
Seattle U 4, GCU 2
Â
"Peski did what she had to and the defense was solid behind her in game one," said head coach Ann Pierson. " I was happy to see our offense get on the board early, but we left too many runners on."
Game One
After neither team was able to push across a run in the first two innings, Kelsey Barak put the Lopes on the board in the top of the third. The junior shortstop picked up her team-leading 38th RBI of the year, dropping a single to right field, scoring Claire Zampini who had reached on a bunt-single to lead off the frame. Canyon wasn't done at the plate, as Nicole Newbury singled, plating Haley Walker. Camree Wartman later smacked a two-bagger to the left-center gap to score Barak to give GCU a 3-0 lead.
The Redhawks answered in the home half of the fourth, scoring three times to knot the game at 3-3.
Grand Canyon bounced back and regained the lead in the top of the fifth. Barak led off the inning driving a single to left field and later came around to score to make the score 4-3 in favor of the Lopes.
Stephanie Pesqueira continued her dominance in the circle, picking up her conference-leading 14th win of the season. The senior hurled all seven innings, surrendering three runs on four hits and struck out a pair of Redhawk batters. Pesqueira has not suffered a loss in her last 14 starts for Canyon.
Zampini and Barak led the way at the plate, as both notched three hits at the dish in Friday's first contest.
Game Two
The Lopes had their eight-game winning streak snapped in game two, falling 4-2 to Seattle U. The Redhawks struck four times in the bottom of the second to jump out to an early lead.
Grand Canyon rallied in the top of the seventh, scoring twice to cut the deficit in half before its rally was halted by Redhawk relief pitcher Mandie Sugita. The pair of seventh inning runs came when pinch-hitter Stephanie Pesqueira drilled an RBI single to right field, scoring Nicole Newbury. Claire Zampini followed with an RBI single of her own, pushing Camree Wartman across the plate.
Taylor Nowlin was tagged with the loss, moving her record to 5-5. Kiki Sepulveda entered in relief and didn't allow an earned run in five innings of work.
Wartman notched two hits in three trips to the dish in Friday's second game.
"We weren't consistent enough in game two and we hit too many fly balls," said Pierson. "I thought Kelsey, Claire, and Camree all had some great at-bats today and I liked their approach at the plate."
"We have to win tomorrow and the kids will come out with a renewed sense of purpose," concluded Pierson. "We need to keep fighting and accomplish this last goal of ours."
The Lopes will look to win the WAC regular season title outright when they wrap up their final conference series of the season with a 2 p.m. (Arizona Time) tilt at Logan Field tomorrow. GCU will conclude its 2014 season with a three-game non-conference series with Utah in Salt Lake City May 9-10. Fans can find a link for live stats to follow the action from the tomorrow's series finale at www.gculopes.com.
GCU 4, Seattle U 3
Seattle U 4, GCU 2
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Pesqueira, Stephanie (14-7)
L: Davis, L (8-7)
Batting:
2B: Wartman, Camree 1
RBI: Barak, Kelsey 1 ; Newbury, Nicole 1 ; Wartman, Camree 1
SH: Henry, Kayla 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Walker, Haley 1 ; Barak, Kelsey 2 ; Zampini, Claire 1
HBP: Walker, Haley 1
Batting:
2B: Morrow, B 1 ; Hurst, J 1 ; Sugita, M 1
RBI: Maulden, L 1 ; Hurst, J 1 ; Sugita, M 1
SH: Hurst, J 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Morrow, B 1 ; Maulden, L 1 ; Hurst, J 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
New Hardware Install | Softball
Friday, August 08
Alexis Soto | on her Christian Faith
Monday, July 07
Briah Williams | Christian Faith
Monday, July 07
Alexis Soto | Ephesians 3:20
Monday, July 07