Lopes honor seniors with home series sweep

Saturday, April 22

Phoenix, Ariz.

5 p.m.

Grand Canyon

34-14, 0

Utah Valley

12-20, 0

Utah Valley

Grand Canyon

4/22/2017 7:50:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Shae Fanning

PHOENIX – The Grand Canyon softball team secured its second straight series sweep as they dropped Utah Valley in a 10-0 shutout. In a game full of emotions honoring the team's seniors, GCU scored big against Utah Valley to sweep their last home series of the season. Scoring 10 runs off of a combined 14 hits, run-ruling Utah Valley in five innings.

How it Happened
The first inning of the game started off with a defensive battle as both offenses remained scoreless. The Lopes bats erupted in the second, with the heart of the order scoring 5-runs off of six hits. Camree Wartman, Sierra Smith, Shea Smith, Laynee Gomez all had base hits with the biggest hit of the game coming off the bat from Kendsey Hill, with a 3-run home run over the left field fence, bringing the score to 5-0.

GCU kept the offense going in the bottom of the third, scoring four runs off four hits. Sierra Smith and Shea Smith came up big again with back to back singles, both scoring on hits off the bats of Madelyn Dowdle and Jenna Coates. The last pair of runs came off the powerful bat of Kendsey Hill as she added two more RBI's to her game total of five, hitting a single down the left field line.

Utah Valley put base runners on in the top of the fourth, however was held scoreless again as the Lopes continued to put on a strong defensive show behind near perfect pitching. With the heart of the order up again Camree Wartman, Sierra Smith, and Shea Smith all singled to drive in run No. 10 of the game.

In the top of the fifth inning, all eyes were on the senior Nowlin as she struck out three batters with bases loaded. She commanded the circle in her final inning in GCU Softball Stadium collecting her eight strikeouts on the day, handing GCU the series sweep.

Up Next
The Lopes head to New Mexico State for their final WAC series of the season. GCU will look to claim the series for the WAC regular season title. The Lopes will face the Aggies in a doubleheader on Friday, Apr. 28 with first pitch set for 3 p.m. MST. GCU will conclude the series on Saturday, Apr. 29 with game time set for 5.