Lopes split final tourney games

Saturday, February 9

Phoenix, Ariz.

4:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

2-2

San Diego State

3-1

San Diego State

Grand Canyon

2/9/2019 8:43:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

GCU tops San Diego State, falls to Syracuse

By: Cassidy Mace

The Grand Canyon softball team finished opening weekend on a high note with a run-rule 9-0 win over San Diego State, as the Lopes (2-3) held the Aztecs (3-1) scoreless for SDSU's first loss of the season Saturday.

In GCU's nightcap, an eight-inning battle with Syracuse (1-3) resulted in a walk-off single for the Orange, as the Lopes came up short 3-2 to split the day at GCU Softball Stadium.

GCU outhit the Aztecs 12-3 and did not make an error. Kaileigh Holland led GCU with three hits, three RBI and two doubles in three appearances at the plate.

Sophomore Kaylee Dietrich earned the first RBI with a sacrifice fly to left field, sending senior Sierra Smith home to score. Holland followed up with a single in GCU's next at bat, sending senior Shea Smith for the second run of the inning. A walk for senior Maddie Dowdle moved Holland to second, allowing her to score on senior Taylor Kaye's RBI single to left field.

Freshman Gianna Nicoletti recorded a hit in her first collegiate at bat in the second inning with a single up the middle, going on to score off an RBI single from Shea Smith. Both teams went scoreless in the third inning, despite a double from Holland.

GCU pushed the lead to nine in the fourth inning, scoring five runs on six hits. Nicoletti, Sierra Smith and freshman Savannah Tourville loaded the bases with only one out, allowing Nicoletti to score on a single to right field from Shea Smith. Dietrich followed up with her second and third RBI of the game, sending Tourville and Sierra Smith home on a left-field line double. Holland rounded out the scoring with her second double of the night for pinch runner Christine Bellavia and Shea Smith to score.

The Lopes entered the fifth inning with a 9-0 lead, holding the Aztecs scoreless in the top of the fifth to end the game per the run-rule.

Sophomore pitcher Ryan Denhart (1-0) got the win in the circle with one strikeout and three hits allowed in a complete game.

The Lopes went into extra innings against Syracuse for the second season in a row, extending to eight innings before the Orange defeated the Lopes with a walk-off RBI single. Last season's competition between GCU and Syracuse went to 10 innings with the Orange taking the win, 9-8.

Sophomore Lexy Coons (1-1) also pitched a complete game, recording five strikeouts in 7.1 innings pitched.

A two-run homer put Syracuse up 2-0 at the end of the first. GCU answered in the top of the second, recording two RBI in a single from sophomore Lilly Bishop, her first career hit.

After four scoreless innings for both teams, the Lopes executed a double play in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings tied at 2-2.

GCU advanced Nicoletti, placed on second base to start the eighth inning due to international tie-breaker rules, to third on a sacrifice fly from Tourville, but was unable to score after a fly out to left field.

Syracuse also received an extra runner on second base to start the bottom of the eighth inning, advancing her to third on a sacrifice bunt. A walk-off single sent the runner home, finishing the game and giving Syracuse the 3-2 win over the Lopes.

GCU travels to San Diego next weekend to compete in the 29^th Annual Campbell/Cartier Classic. The Lopes take on UC Santa Barbara on Friday at 10 a.m. (Phoenix time) for its first matchup of the tournament.