GCU falls in extra innings to UNLV

Sunday, March 8

Phoenix, Ariz.

12:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

5-20

UNLV

21-5

UNLV

Grand Canyon

3/8/2020 3:46:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Fifield hit 2-out, 2-run homer to force extras

Grand Canyon looked to close out the Lopes Up Classic on a high note Sunday in its second meeting with UNLV but a late rally proved for naught when the Rebels won 8-7 in against the Rebels in nine innings at GCU Softball Stadium.

"Just not the finish we were going for or wanting at the end of this day," GCU head coach Ann Pierson said. "What a great battle from both teams and we learned a lot from playing them on Friday, which I think was evident in the score and just how we approached it and played. I was really proud of our kids. Their energy and fight and to come back after being down early.

"It is great anytime you have kids that have the ability to get the ball to leave the park and we have that with Lilly Bishop and Kristin Fifield, which is fantastic. And it is great to have people on base when we are able to do that. I was really pleased with our defense and thought we made some great plays. Clearly, the play at the plate was disappointing and it could have gone either way, but it was a great play by Mickey Covarrubio and Kaileigh Holland. Again, we had some really good fight and really good defensive plays."

UNLV took an early lead over GCU as the Rebels scored four runs in the top of the first inning off four hits.

In the bottom of the third inning, Lopes freshman right fielder Jaiden Reid led off with a single to center and advanced to second on a sacrifice by junior first baseman Kaylee Dietrich. Sophomore third baseman Savannah Tourville drew a two-out walk, Bishop to the plate with runners on the corners. Bishop, a junior at designated player, put the Lopes within one run of the Rebels with a three-run home run over the left-field fence.

The Rebels extended their lead to 6-3 in the top of the fifth inning with two runs on two hits.

Dietrich drew a walk to start the bottom of the fifth and sophomore center fielder Gianna Nicoletti followed with a single up the middle. A single to right center by Tourville loaded the bases for GCU, setting up Fifield's RBI sacrifice fly that cut the UNLV lead to 6-4.

In the bottom of the seventh with two outs, Bishop reached on an error. With a 2-0 count, Fifield hit a rocket over the center-field fence to tie the game at 6-6 and send the game into extra innings.

The Rebels managed to score two runs in the top of the ninth to take an 8-6 lead.

GCU fought back in the bottom half of the inning with Reid placed on second due to international tiebreaker. Nicoletti laced a single up the middle, scoring Reid, but the rally stopped there.

"I was really pleased with (senior starting pitcher) Brianna Aguilar getting out there and getting some more innings this weekend and we are seeing a lot of great things out of her," Pierson said. "Then, Ryan Denhart came in and just really threw well. Obviously, there are some things we need to shore up, but I feel that we are still early in the season and things are getting better and more consistent.

"We are looking forward to a great week, starting Wednesday night and heading into this weekend for our last tournament. We are excited to be at home and having more great teams coming in, more lessons to learn and more great battles. We will just get back after it. I am proud of the kids and the things they are doing."

The Lopes will host the GCU Invitational beginning with a 5 p.m. Wednesday game against South Dakota and a 7 p.m. game against Lehigh.