Late rally extends tourney run

Thursday, May 9

Phoenix, Ariz.

7:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

32-23

Utah Valley

15-31

Utah Valley

Grand Canyon

5/9/2019 8:46:00 PM | Softball

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4-run 6th inning seals comeback

By: Josh Hauser

Grand Canyon's season was reduced to six outs following a sixth-inning home run that gave Utah Valley a 4-2 lead on Thursday night.

The Lopes responded with a four-run inning, taking back a late lead to survive and advance with a 6-4 WAC Tournament win at GCU Softball Stadium.

GCU (32-23) advances to a second elimination game against sixth-seeded CSU Bakersfield on Friday at 4:30 p.m. at GCU.

"We got behind in the end," Lopes head coach Ann Pierson said. "Just the sixth inning for the kids to come in and just keep swinging and swinging and just having good at-bats, that's all we can really ask for. I was really proud of them today."

The Lopes trailed for the first time following a three-run blast by UVU senior first baseman Madison Sisco, a two-out, two-strike home run to left field.

Heading to the bottom of the sixth and trailing by two in an elimination game, the Lopes calmly got their first two runners of the frame on base in the form of a Maddie Dowdle single and a Kaylee Dietrich double. Sophomore designated player Kaileigh Holland pulled GCU within a run on an RBI double. Senior shortstop Shea Smith put a ball in play that scored a run on a fielder's choice when Utah Valley attempted to retire the lead runner at home plate.

With a tie score and the bases loaded, patience paid off when junior right fielder Loriann Olson and freshman second baseman Savannah Tourville drew back-to-back run-scoring walks.

"It's always great to have the bottom half jump start the top," Pierson said. "Any time you get back up to the top, you get to see Shea again, you get to see Loriann, you get to see Sierra, then get to Savannah."

GCU took the early lead when Holland hit her fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the fourth to put the Lopes up 2-0.

The Lopes used three pitchers to navigate the game. Sophomore Yessie Morrison threw 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball. Sophomore Lexy Coons (5-4) got the win, and junior Brianna Aguilar capped off the victory with her third save of the year.

"Yessie threw a great game and the defense played really well," Pierson said. "Of course, Holland hit the ball out of the park, which is outstanding."

Dowdle led GCU with three hits on the night while Holland's 3 RBIs led the club.

GCU bounced back from a Thursday afternoon, extra-inning loss, which complicated its path to the title. The Lopes completed the first task, needing four more wins to claim the championship.