Team effort claims senior day sweep

Saturday, April 28

Phoenix, Ariz.

5:00 PM

Grand Canyon

27-23, 0

UMKC

12-37, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Kansas City	0	0	0	0	3	0	3	6	1
Grand Canyon	1	1	4	0	3	2	11	15	4

4/28/2018 6:45:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Offensive frenzy secures 3 wins vs. UMKC

By: Sarah Woodward

All nine players in the Grand Canyon softball team's batting order tallied at least one hit and senior pitcher Mariah Valencia claimed her first win of the season, as the Lopes (27-23, 8-6 WAC) downed Kansas City (12-37, 2-13 WAC), 11-3, in six innings on Saturday night at the GCU Softball Stadium.

The Lopes honored five seniors after the series finale victory, as Bianca Boling, Laynee Gomez, Niki Gonzalez, Kendsey Hill and Mariah Valencia played their last games at home.

Sierra Smith led the way with a 3-4 performance from the plate with three runs and an RBI, while the quad of Gomez (3 RBI), Gonzalez (2 RBI), Shea Smith (3 RBI) and Taylor Kaye each had two hits apiece. Hill, Boling, Loriann Olson and Maddie Dowdle each added a hit as well.

Valencia dealt one strikeout and pitched six innings for the complete-game victory, giving up just three unearned runs.

Hill started things off for the Lopes with a double down the left field line in the bottom of the first. After advancing to third on a passed ball, Gonzalez plated Hill with an RBI double up the middle to put GCU up, 1-0.

A solo home run by Shea Smith in the bottom of the second put the Lopes ahead, 2-0. The yard ball is her second of the season.

GCU extended the lead to six runs with an RBI single from Sierra Smith, an RBI sacrifice fly from Shea Smith, an RBI single from Olson and an RBI single up the middle from Gomez in the bottom of the third.

A pair of GCU fielding errors in the top of the fifth frame allowed three runs to come through, cutting the Lopes lead, 6-3.

Sierra Smith stole home to plate the first run of the fifth frame, while Gomez dropped a 2 RBI double inside the left field line with two outs on the board to send Olson and Kaye home for the 9-3 lead.

Gonzalez went to the yard for the third time this weekend and the 12th time this season with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the sixth, giving GCU a 10-3 lead.

Sierra Smith dropped a double to the left field line and Shea followed it with an RBI single up the middle to send Sierra home for the game-winning run.

The Lopes go to Tucson, Arizona, for a three-game series with the Wildcats next Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6 before heading to Las Cruces, New Mexico for the Western Athletic Conference tournament.