Softball starts tournament with a split

Friday, March 2

Phoenix, Ariz.

2:00 PM

Grand Canyon

9-9

South Dakota

5-13

South Dakota

Grand Canyon

3/2/2018 6:35:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Taylor Kaye goes 3-3 in day one finale

By: Sarah Woodward

PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Grand Canyon softball team split its opening pair of games in the Lopes Up Classic, as GCU (10-9) dropped its opener to South Dakota (5-13), 10-1, before downing Princeton (0-2), 6-2, in the day's finale.

"We were really disappointed with the first game," head coach Ann Pierson said. "We've got to have better performances in the circle, regardless of who's out there. I was expecting more leadership out of Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage and Mariah Valencia.

"I felt like we swung our bats okay, we just hit a lot of balls right at people… and we made some defensive mistakes. We didn't have enough run production or pitching production.

"The challenge was to come into game two and shake off game one and get going," Pierson said. "Alexa Coons threw a great game. She worked ahead. We had a couple mistakes that we have to fix, but it was better to see us get on the board. Niki (Gonzalez) hitting the ball out of the park is always a momentum changer. We just need to continue to work at it at the plate to score more runs."

GAME ONE
Senior Laynee Gomez knocked an RBI single to left field to send sophomore Loriann Olson home from second base for GCU's only run of the game.

South Dakota was scoreless through the first three innings, but then put five runs on the board in the top of the fourth and fifth innings to lead GCU, 10-1, heading into the bottom of the fifth frame.

The Lopes were unable to get anything going offensively and the game was ended in five innings.

Shea Smith was 2-3, while Gomez was 1-3 with an RBI and senior Bianca Boling was 1-2 with a double. The pair of sophomore Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage and senior Mariah Valencia each dished out a strikeout, as Aguilar-Beaucage (5-5) was charged with the loss.

GAME TWO
Princeton capitalized on an infield single to send a runner home for the score for the 1-0 lead in the top of the first.

Gomez evened the score with an RBI single to left center to get on first base before senior Niki Gonzalez came through with a two-run yard ball, her third of the season, to put the Lopes ahead, 3-1.

With two outs against the Lopes, Shea Smith added a 2 RBI single to bring juniors Maddie Dowdle and Taylor Kaye home for a pair of runs in the bottom of the second frame to give the Lopes a 5-1 lead.

Checking in as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the sixth, sophomore Jordon Keeton nailed a two-out RBI single up the middle to send pinch runner and freshman Taylor Tetone home to plate the run.

Princeton added a run in the top of the seventh, but a throw from Dowdle to Sierra Smith at third base closed out action on day one at GCU Softball Stadium.

Kaye was a perfect 3-3 on the day with three singles, while Sierra was 2-3. The trio of Shea Smith, Gonzalez and Gomez were 1-3.

Freshman Alexa Coons (5-1) dished out one strike out and allowed just four hits and two runs in her fifth win of the season.

GCU returns for day two of the Lopes Up Classic tomorrow, as the Lopes take on Princeton again at 4:30 p.m. and UNLV at 7 p.m.