Lopes end 2016 with series sweep, engineer 10th shutout

Saturday, April 30

Bakersfield, Calif.

1 p.m.

Grand Canyon

34-15, 9-5

CSU Bakersfield

13-31, 5-9

Grand Canyon

CSU Bakersfield

Lopes end 2016 with series sweep, engineer 10th shutout

4/30/2016 12:39:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Imani Suber

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The Grand Canyon softball team completed their second series sweep of the season when they garnered two victories over Cal State Bakersfield in their final doubleheader of the season. The Lopes took Game 1 in a 6-4 finish and collected their 10th shutout when they downed the Roadrunners 4-0. The Lopes finish the 2016 season with a 35-15 record and 10-5 in WAC play.

The Lopes combined for 16 runs from 25 hits with six doubles, 13 RBI and one home run. Briielle Breland put on a show at the plate and was 5-for-8 with a .625 batting average. She also had a run, a double and three RBI on the weekend. Breland was a perfect 5-for-5 with a run and a double in the team's doubleheader Saturday afternoon.

Game 1: GCU downed the Roadrunners in a 6-4 finish to claim the series. Brittany Medina led at the plate and was 3-for-4 with one run and three RBI singles. Briielle Breland was also solid and was perfect going 3-for-3 with three RBI and a double.

In the circle, tandem Taylor Nowlin and Bailey Bergman completed the contest for the Lopes. Taylor Nowlin picked up her 19th victory of the year, while Bergman earned her first save of the year after relieving Nowlin in the fifth and closing out the contest.

The Lopes started Game 1 sharp producing three runs from four hits. Shea Smith started the Lopes off with a leadoff single through the right side. Although, Smith was taken out on her advance to second as a result of a Nicole Newbury fielder's choice, Camree Wartman landed a free base after a hit by pitch and put the Lopes in scoring position. Brittany Medina followed with a hit to center field to load the bases. Breland then punched out a two-run RBI double to the right field line to give the Lopes the early lead. The Lopes kept the hits coming as Sierra Smith picked up an RBI single to give the Lopes a 3-0 advantage.

Although the Roadrunners landed two on base as a result of a base hit and a Lopes error, GCU prevented CSUB from scoring and left two stranded to get out of the first inning.

The Lopes kept the hits coming in the home half of the second. Madelyn Dowdle led off with a double down the left field line. The bases were quickly loaded after back-to-back Roadrunner walks and Medina collected her second RBI single of the day and plated Dowdle. With the hits flowing, the Lopes knocked out the starting Roadrunner pitcher. Breland kept up the momentum with a two-out RBI single to center field and scored Shea Smith to extend the lead to 5-0.

While the Lopes had collected five runs from seven hits through the first pair of innings, the Lopes went scoreless in the third, but continued to shutout the Roadrunners off a double play to get out of the inning.

Shea Smith led off the fourth with a bunt base hit. Medina continued her hitting ways and collected her third RBI single of the day to score Shea Smith who occupied third as a result of a Wartman fly out. The Lopes finished out the fourth with a run from a trio of hits and extended their lead 6-0.

The Roadrunners got their offense going in the fifth, with two hits and a walk to load the bases. The Roadrunners finally got a run on the board as a result of a Lopes walk, CSUB then produced a three RBI triple to cut the lead to 6-4.

The Lopes continued to weather the storm after the momentum shifted to CSUB in the fifth inning. The Roadrunners managed to render GCU scoreless for three straight innings and land two on base from a pair of hits, but the Lopes stepped up and shut down the contest off a pair of groundouts to claim the series with a 6-4 victory.

Game 2: GCU finished their final contest of the year in style as they collected their 10th shutout of the season in the 4-0 outcome Saturday afternoon. In her final outing of her collegiate career, Kailey Regester allowed just three hits in a complete game shutout.

Breland had another successful outing at the plate and was a perfect 2-for-2 with a run and a pair of hit by pitches.

While the contest was a defensive battle for the first three innings, the Lopes drought was ended when they produced three runs from four hits.

The Lopes got their bats going in the top of the fourth as Newbury landed on base off a single through the left side. Although, Newbury was thrown out on her advance to second as a result of a Wartman fielder's choice, Medina blasted the ball to the left field fence for a double and plated Wartman to give the Lopes a lead. Breland followed with a chopper through the infield and advanced on the Roadrunner throw to plant herself on second. The Lopes continued to apply the pressure plating two runs as a result of a major Roadrunner blunder and extended their lead to 3-0.

Regester and the Lopes defense continue to halt the Roadrunners holding them to just one hit over five innings to maintaine the lead.

Dowdle led off the final frame with her second double of the day to immediately threaten for the Lopes. Hill drew a walk to land on base and Shea Smith landed on first off a hit by pitch to load the bases. While the Roadrunners claimed two outs off a double play, Hailey Maher who was pitch running for Hill scored on a passed ball to improve the score to 4-0.

In the final inning of the season, GCU's defense stood tough and shut down the game with a quick three out inning to snag the sweep with a 4-0 shutout victory.

Lopes Quotes:
Head Coach Ann Pierson
"We're really proud of the kids. This was a great year. The fact that we had so many freshman in the starting lineup, I'm pleased with the year overall. This weekend with a win was great. We had not swept a series against Bakersfield since being in the conference, so it was great to get all three games from them. They're a very competitive and scrappy team. Taylor Nowlin threw two great games and Kailey Regester threw one of the best games of her career since she's been at Grand Canyon. It's always great for the seniors to go out on a winning note. Nicole Newbury and Kailey both had a great weekend and you always want to be able to see seniors celebrate their careers that way. Very happy overall with everything that we did this weekend. We hit the ball well and made some big defensive plays, so I feel like it's a high note going into next year."