Upcoming Event: Softball versus Pima CC on September 30, 2025 at 6 p.m.
Softball
6 p.m.
vs Pima CC
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, May 10
Phoenix, Ariz.
4:30 p.m.
Grand Canyon
33-23
6
vs
4
CSU Bakersfield
15-32
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Grand Canyon
0
0
6
0
0
0
0
6
8
2
CSU Bakersfield
2
0
0
0
0
2
0
4
5
2
Tourville's 3rd HR extends season
5/10/2019 5:20:00 PM | Softball, Paul Coro
Lopes advance to next must-win WAC tourney game
When Grand Canyon trailed 2-0 on Friday in a WAC Softball Tournament elimination game, the Lopes needed a response to remain.
They gave one that reverberated, especially when GCU freshman second baseman Savannah Tourville broke a tie by hammering a three-run home run during a six-run third inning against CSU Bakersfield. That onslaught was enough to give the Lopes a 6-4 win that advanced GCU to a 7:30 p.m. elimination game against second-seeded New Mexico State at GCU Softball Stadium.
If the Lopes (33-23) avenge a Thursday 1-0, eight-inning loss to the Aggies, they will play top-seeded Seattle in the championship round. GCU would have to defeat the Redhawks twice in the double-elimination format for a streak of five consecutive elimination-game victories.
For a second consecutive elimination game, the Lopes trailed by two runs early against CSU Bakersfield when Chirs Hipa ripped a two-run, two-out home run for a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
GCU's six-run rally began subtly with sophomore designated player Lily Bishop being hit by a pitch and sophomore center fielder Taylor Tetone laying down a sacrifice bunt. Senior shortstop Shea Smith singled to left field before junior right fielder Loriann Olson loaded the bases with a bunt.
Senior third baseman Sierra Smith chopped a single over the first baseman to tie the game at 2-2 before Tourville continued her charge on the WAC Tournament record book. Tourville blasted a three-run home run over the left-field wall for a 5-2 lead. Tourville's third home run gave her 11 tournament RBIs, leaving her one home run shy of the tourney record (held by three people, including GCU's Bianca Boling in 2018) and three shy of the tourney RBI record set last year by Sierra Smith.
The six-run inning was capped by a single from senior left fielder Maddie Dowdle setting up the final run on an error.
That 6-2 lead stayed in tact for GCU sophomore pitcher Ryan Denhart (11-7) until the sixth inning, when CSU Bakersfield's Nicole Curry added another two-run home run to cut the Lopes' lead to 6-4.
The Roadrunners made a final threat in the seventh inning, when two two-out singles brought the potential winning run to the plate. GCU junior Briana Aguilar picked up her fourth save of the season by drawing a ground out to Tourville.
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They gave one that reverberated, especially when GCU freshman second baseman Savannah Tourville broke a tie by hammering a three-run home run during a six-run third inning against CSU Bakersfield. That onslaught was enough to give the Lopes a 6-4 win that advanced GCU to a 7:30 p.m. elimination game against second-seeded New Mexico State at GCU Softball Stadium.
If the Lopes (33-23) avenge a Thursday 1-0, eight-inning loss to the Aggies, they will play top-seeded Seattle in the championship round. GCU would have to defeat the Redhawks twice in the double-elimination format for a streak of five consecutive elimination-game victories.
For a second consecutive elimination game, the Lopes trailed by two runs early against CSU Bakersfield when Chirs Hipa ripped a two-run, two-out home run for a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
GCU's six-run rally began subtly with sophomore designated player Lily Bishop being hit by a pitch and sophomore center fielder Taylor Tetone laying down a sacrifice bunt. Senior shortstop Shea Smith singled to left field before junior right fielder Loriann Olson loaded the bases with a bunt.
Senior third baseman Sierra Smith chopped a single over the first baseman to tie the game at 2-2 before Tourville continued her charge on the WAC Tournament record book. Tourville blasted a three-run home run over the left-field wall for a 5-2 lead. Tourville's third home run gave her 11 tournament RBIs, leaving her one home run shy of the tourney record (held by three people, including GCU's Bianca Boling in 2018) and three shy of the tourney RBI record set last year by Sierra Smith.
The six-run inning was capped by a single from senior left fielder Maddie Dowdle setting up the final run on an error.
That 6-2 lead stayed in tact for GCU sophomore pitcher Ryan Denhart (11-7) until the sixth inning, when CSU Bakersfield's Nicole Curry added another two-run home run to cut the Lopes' lead to 6-4.
The Roadrunners made a final threat in the seventh inning, when two two-out singles brought the potential winning run to the plate. GCU junior Briana Aguilar picked up her fourth save of the season by drawing a ground out to Tourville.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Denhart, Ryan (11-7)
L: Hitzel, Daryn (5-13)
S: Aguilar, Brianna (4)
Batting:
HR: Tourville, Savannah 1
RBI: Smith, Sierra 2 ; Tourville, Savannah 3
SH: Tetone, Taylor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Smith, Shea 1 ; Olson, Loriann 1 ; Smith, Sierra 1 ; Tourville, Savannah 1 ; Dowdle, Maddie 1 ; Nicoletti, Gianna 1
SB: Smith, Sierra 1
CS: Smith, Sierra 1
HBP: Dietrich, Kaylee 1 ; Bishop, Lilly 1
Batting:
HR: Curry, Nicole 1 ; Hipa, Chris 1
RBI: Curry, Nicole 2 ; Hipa, Chris 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Johnson, Paige 1 ; Curry, Nicole 2 ; Hipa, Chris 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
1B
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballUTL
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF
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