Aguilar dishes her 1st no-hitter

Saturday, May 4

Kansas City, Mo.

11 a.m.

Grand Canyon

29-22, 0

Kansas City

26-26, 0

Grand Canyon

UMKC

5/4/2019 3:04:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Lopes reaches 30 wins for 4th consecutive season

By: Sarah Woodward

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Grand Canyon junior pitcher Brianna Aguilar recorded her first no-hitter Saturday to help GCU to an 11-0, run-rule win at Kansas City in five innings Saturday.

The win rebounded GCU from a 3-2 loss that opened the doubleheader at Urban Youth Academy and capped the regular season by securing 30 wins for the Lopes' fourth consecutive season. It marked GCU head coach Ann Pierson's eighth 30-win season at GCU.

Only a hit batsman kept Aguilar from a perfect game. GCU did not make an error and Aguilar, the WAC leader in ERA for conference play at 0.70, did not issue a walk. Ten of her 15 outs came on ground balls and only two UMKC batters hit the ball out of the infield.

"This weekend wasn't what I had expected, but we saw so many good things to build on heading into the tournament," Pierson said. "Bo's (Brianna Aguilar's) no-hitter today was awesome. She was so deserving of that performance. The work she's put in really showed up this weekend. She's thrown so well in conference play, it's exciting to see.

"It was good to see the bats come alive in Game 3. The kids did a good job of executing and driving the ball. It was a good note to end on as we get ready for a big week."

The Lopes (30-22, 12-6 WAC) and Roos (26-27, 6-12 WAC) will be among six teams playing next week at the four-day WAC Tournament, which will be held at GCU Softball Stadium starting on Wednesday. GCU, the No. 3 seed, will open against No. 6 seed CSU Bakersfield at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday with the winner advancing to play second-seeded New Mexico State at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

GAME 1
The Lopes got themselves into trouble early with three straight errors in the bottom half of the first to load the bases for the Roos, but a double play from senior shortstop Shea Smith to freshman first baseman Taylor Olsen ended the first frame scoreless.

GCU struck first in the top half of the second with two outs on the board, as junior pinch hitter Jordon Keeton laid a two-run single to left center.

The Roos cut the GCU lead to one in the bottom of the third frame with a two-out RBI double to the center-field wall and followed it with a go-ahead, two-run homer to left field to take a 3-2 lead.

The Lopes were unable to get anything going offensively, as GCU dropped the doubleheader's opener to even the weekend series.

GAME 2
GCU started the momentum in the top half of the first with a bunt single from Shea Smith. Senior third baseman Sierra Smith sent her to third with a single to right field and a double steal sent Shea home for the run.

Freshman second baseman Savannah Tourville continued the scoring for GCU in the first with a two-run single to center field, sending Sierra Smith and senior outfielder Maddie Dowdle home for the 3-0 lead.

With the bases loaded in the top of the third, a full-count walk to Olsen sent Dowdle home and an error from the UMKC shortstop allowed Tourville to plate the sixth run of the game for GCU. Shea Smith sent pinch-runner Rachel Hammons home with an RBI single to right field for the 7-0 lead.

Kaylee Dietrich brought the Lopes to double digits with a bases-clearing triple to right field and Dowdle followed with an RBI single to left center to send Dietrich home for the 11-0 lead.

GCU didn't add any insurance runs in the final two innings, but the 11-0 victory was good for the run-rule decision with Aguilar tallying two strikeouts.