Lopes hang tough with No.23 Baylor

Friday, February 17

Waco, Texas

2:00 p.m.

Grand Canyon

7-0

North Texas

2-4

North Texas

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Theon Carrier

2/17/2017 7:50:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Imani Suber

WACO, Texas - The Grand Canyon softball program split opening day of the Getterman Classic. In their first game of the day GCU defeated North Texas in a 7-3 finish, but suffered its first loss of the season at the hands of No.23/24 Baylor in a 1-0 outcome.

In a complete effort, GCU produced seven runs from 12 hits with one triple and one home run.

Camree Wartman collected an RBI triple against North Texas, while Kendsey Hill notched her first home run of the season.

P Taylor Nowlin was nearly perfect against Baylor allowing just four hits on the night, before giving up the lone run of the game. P Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage came in relief against UNT pitching the final two innings allowing just one hit and four strikeouts.

How it Happened

Game 1 | North Texas
In a back and forth contest, that wasn't decided until late in the game. North Texas rendering GCU scoreless for four innings before the Lopes got on the board.

UNT got off to a fast start quickly securing a pair of singles to put runners on the corners. The Mean Green staid aggressive stealing second as Mariah Valcencia produced her first walk of the day to load the bases. Followed with a second straight walk, the Mean Green earned the first run of the day to take the early lead. With one more bases-loaded walk, UNT took a 2-0 lead in the opening frame.

After four innings, the Lopes finally got on the board. Wartman hit a bomb to right center to score Laynee Gomez, who was on base after drawing a walk. Loriann Olson capitalized on the momentum blasting the ball to left center for an RBI single to score Wartman and lock the contest at 2-2.

In the fifth, the Mean Green quickly answered, plating a runner after an RBI double to snatch back the advantage. But, GCU wouldn't stand for it as Hill hit a bomb over the left field fence for the game tying home run to even the score at 3-3 in the home half of the fifth.

After a walk to start the sixth, Aguilar-Beaucage entered the circle to relieve Valencia finishing the inning quickly with three outs to get GCU's offense back up to bat.

In the home half of the sixth, GCU's bats came alive as Gomez opened up with a single to left field. Olson was moved over by a Madelyn Dowdle single. Bianca Boling came up clutch blasting a 2 RBI double to center field, plating Olson and Gomez to put GCU up 5-3. After the second Mean Green pitching change in the inning, Hill picked up an RBI single through the left side to score Dowdle. Boling went on to plate on a Shea Smith sacrifice fly to bring the score to 7-3 after a four-run, four-hit inning.

UNT wouldn't go quietly singling to the shortstop and stealing second base as they tried to mount a rally. But the freshman Agular-Beaucage struck out the two remaining batters en route to her second win as a Lope as GCU claimed the contest at 7-3.

Game 2 | No.23 Baylor
In a pitching dual that yielded just seven hits and one run, Nowlin and the GCU defense battled to the end, but couldn't hold off the Bears as they drove the game winning run across the plate in the sixth inning.

GCU started on a high note as Sierra Smith reached first on an error and Gomez sent a chopper to third base to threaten on the corners, but the Lopes failed to convert early.

Nowlin and the defense had a day, keeping Baylor on its heels inning after inning. GCU got its best opportunity of the game in the fourth. The Lopes were able to capitalize on Baylor miscues as the bases loaded after back-to-back singles from Dowdle and Boling. Hill reached on a Bear error to load the bases setting GCU up for the score. But the Lopes couldn't plate a runner, leaving three on base after a two-hit inning.

From the fourth on, the Lopes couldn't get anything going on offense as Nowlin went on to shut down the Bears for another pair of innings. In the sixth, the Bears got the spark they needed off a double. They then hit a RBI triple to left center to drive in a run and take the lead at 1-0

While GCU had their chance at the top of the seventh, the Lopes couldn't make anything happen and fell to the Bears in a 1-0 outcome.

Lopes Quotes
Head Coach Ann Pierson

Game 1
"Game one was a good battle. Mariah (Valencia) settled in to her game and gave our offense a chance to work. She started pounding the zone and I was proud of her resiliency. She located well and let our defense work. Bo (Aguilar-Beaucage) came in and just shut the offense down the last two innings. Great command and presence. The offense was a little slow, but then we got in a roll. Multiple kids put together good at-bats. Kendsey (Hill) had a great wing. It's not a homerun friendly park because of the wind. But the kids finished strong."

Game 2
"Game two was an incredible battle with a very strong Baylor team. Tay (Nowlin) threw one of the best games of her career and kept their offense off balance all night. She had all pitches working and kept her composure throughout. Our defense was solid once again and has been very dependable up to this point. We had a great approach at the plate all night and had some hard hit balls that just didn't fall. I'm so proud of the way our kids rose to the challenge of playing a top team. Now we need to settled back in tomorrow and get ready for two strong opponents."

Lopes Notes

Kendsey Hill notched her first home run of the season against North Texas.
Camree Wartman tallied her first triple of the season against North Texas.
In a complete game, Taylor Nowlin allowed just four hits against No. 23 Baylor. She has not allowed more than five hits this season through five appearances.
Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage came in relief against UNT, tossing 2.0 innings stopping the Mean Green offensive attack. She allowed just one hit and struck out four.

Up Next
GCU returns to the field for Day 2 of the Getterman Classic. The Lopes open the day against UTSA at 11:30 a.m. MST. They will finish against North Texas at 4:30 p.m.