Completed Event: Softball at Arizona State on October 15, 2025 ,
Softball
at Arizona State
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, May 11
Las Cruces, N.M.
3:00 PM
Grand Canyon
30-27
18
vs
7
Utah Valley
21-29
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
R
H
E
Grand Canyon
2
1
2
0
0
2
0
11
18
18
0
Utah Valley
4
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
7
11
4
Photo by: Jaime Guzman
8th-inning explosion keeps Lopes alive
5/11/2018 5:57:00 PM | Softball
GCU eliminates Utah Valley
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – A running catch in center field from Laynee Gomez turned into a double play and would eventually allow the Grand Canyon softball team to plate 11 runs in the top of the eighth winning to survive in an 18-7 victory over #2 Utah Valley (21-27, 10-4 WAC) on Friday night at NM State Softball Complex.
The #4 Lopes (30-27, 8-6 WAC) tied a team-high run production in Division I play with 18 runs, while setting a new season-best in team hits with 18.
Laynee Gomez started the momentum for the Lopes with a lead-off single and a steal and advanced to third off a Wolverines error. Sierra Smith sent her to home with an RBI single to right field to put the Lopes up, 1-0.
Shea Smith plated her sister from second base with an RBI single to right field, giving the Lopes a 2-0 lead in the top of the first frame. Utah Valley matched the intensity with a four-run bottom of the first to take the lead.
The Lopes came back with a run in the top of the second, as Niki Gonzalez popped up an RBI base hit to the edge of the infield to bring GCU within one, 4-3. With her second scoring pinch hit in as many days, Jordon Keeton nailed a 2 RBI double to left field to send Maddie Dowdle and Kendsey Hill home for the 5-4 lead in the top of the third.
The Wolverines struck back with a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth frame to go ahead, 7-5.
Sierra Smith tied the game in the top of the sixth as she smashed a 2 RBI home run to far right field, bringing pinch runner Katelyn Acton home with her for the 7-7 tie game.
With two UVU runners on and one out on the board in the bottom of the seventh, Gomez started an incredible double play in midair and threw down to second base to catch the runner and convert the double play, pushing extra innings.
With runners on the corners, Gonzalez tallied an RBI single to left field to send Gomez home for the go-ahead run, giving GCU an 8-7 advantage.
Shea Smith continued the eighth-inning push with a 2 RBI single to left center to plate two Lopes runners and give GCU a 10-7 advantage.
Hill continued the scoring in the top of the extra frame with a 2 RBI double to the left field line. The Lopes put two more runs on the board with a fielding error on the Wolverines, putting GCU ahead, 14-7.
GCU continued the scoring frenzy with an RBI walk from Sierra Smith and a bases-clearing double from Boling to go ahead, 18-7.
The Lopes face #6 UMKC at 6 p.m. (MST) tonight for a chance to play in tomorrow's championship final against #1 New Mexico State.
The #4 Lopes (30-27, 8-6 WAC) tied a team-high run production in Division I play with 18 runs, while setting a new season-best in team hits with 18.
Laynee Gomez started the momentum for the Lopes with a lead-off single and a steal and advanced to third off a Wolverines error. Sierra Smith sent her to home with an RBI single to right field to put the Lopes up, 1-0.
Shea Smith plated her sister from second base with an RBI single to right field, giving the Lopes a 2-0 lead in the top of the first frame. Utah Valley matched the intensity with a four-run bottom of the first to take the lead.
The Lopes came back with a run in the top of the second, as Niki Gonzalez popped up an RBI base hit to the edge of the infield to bring GCU within one, 4-3. With her second scoring pinch hit in as many days, Jordon Keeton nailed a 2 RBI double to left field to send Maddie Dowdle and Kendsey Hill home for the 5-4 lead in the top of the third.
The Wolverines struck back with a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth frame to go ahead, 7-5.
Sierra Smith tied the game in the top of the sixth as she smashed a 2 RBI home run to far right field, bringing pinch runner Katelyn Acton home with her for the 7-7 tie game.
With two UVU runners on and one out on the board in the bottom of the seventh, Gomez started an incredible double play in midair and threw down to second base to catch the runner and convert the double play, pushing extra innings.
With runners on the corners, Gonzalez tallied an RBI single to left field to send Gomez home for the go-ahead run, giving GCU an 8-7 advantage.
Shea Smith continued the eighth-inning push with a 2 RBI single to left center to plate two Lopes runners and give GCU a 10-7 advantage.
Hill continued the scoring in the top of the extra frame with a 2 RBI double to the left field line. The Lopes put two more runs on the board with a fielding error on the Wolverines, putting GCU ahead, 14-7.
GCU continued the scoring frenzy with an RBI walk from Sierra Smith and a bases-clearing double from Boling to go ahead, 18-7.
The Lopes face #6 UMKC at 6 p.m. (MST) tonight for a chance to play in tomorrow's championship final against #1 New Mexico State.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Aguilar, Brianna (12-15)
L: Sorensen, Lexi (0-4)
Batting:
2B: Boling, Bianca 2 ; Hill, Kendsey 1 ; Keeton, Jordon 1
HR: Smith, Sierra 1
RBI: Gonzalez, Niki 2 ; Smith, Sierra 4 ; Boling, Bianca 3 ; Smith, Shea 3 ; Hill, Kendsey 2 ; Kaye, Taylor 1 ; Keeton, Jordon 2
SH: Smith, Sierra 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gomez, Laynee 4 ; Olson, Loriann 2 ; Gonzalez, Niki 2 ; Smith, Sierra 3 ; Boling, Bianca 1 ; Smith, Shea 1 ; Dowdle, Maddie 2 ; Hill, Kendsey 2 ; Kaye, Taylor 1
SB: Gomez, Laynee 1 ; Smith, Sierra 1
CS: Dowdle, Maddie 1
Batting:
2B: Moeller, Brianna 2
HR: Steverson, Lyndsay 1 ; Query, Basia 1
RBI: Angulo, Peyton 1 ; Steverson, Lyndsay 3 ; Query, Basia 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Moeller, Brianna 2 ; Cook, Skylar 1 ; Angulo, Peyton 2 ; Steverson, Lyndsay 1 ; Query, Basia 1
SB: Cook, Skylar 1
CS: Morris, Caragh 1
HBP: Angulo, Peyton 1
Game Leaders
AB
6
R
2
H
4
RBI
2
AB
5
R
4
H
3
RBI
0
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
3
H
2
RBI
4
Players Mentioned
OF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
SS
/ SoftballUTL
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