Extra-inning rally comes up short vs. Utah

Thursday, February 11

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

0-1, 0

Utah

1-0, 0

Utah

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Mathew McGraw

2/11/2021 10:39:00 PM | Softball, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery

Lopes encouraged by effort in 6-5 loss, excited to end long layoff

By: Paul Coro

Grand Canyon went down in order for three straight innings, seemingly missing its chance to beat Utah in regulation when the Utes scored five in the first extra inning Thursday night.

But the Lopes began the day fired up by a group chat reminding them that it was their first game day in 337 days. No chance to compete was going to go wasted.

GCU lost its season opener to Utah, but not before putting an eighth-inning scare into the Utes at GCU Softball Stadium. The Lopes scored four runs and put the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base when the game ended as a 6-5 loss.

All that did was leave the Lopes with more motivation, which can be exerted with five more games over Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the GCU Kickoff Classic.

"We were all like, 'We're going to fight for this,' " Lopes junior left fielder Gianna Nicoletti said of facing the 6-1 hole. "It's our first game back. We can play with any team out there and we proved that tonight. We can play with a lot of heart. We're a strong-knit team and it really showed tonight, honestly.

"I'm over-the-moon excited to even be back here. It gives us all the kick in the butt we needed."

The Lopes not only rebounded from the eighth-inning's deep deficit, but they quickly shook off a slow start in the game too.

Utah, which received top-25 votes after going 14-4 last year, opened the game with two singles and a walk for a 1-0 lead but GCU starting pitcher Tabitha Dyer, a senior transfer from Penn, escaped the inning with senior catcher Kaylee Dietrich throwing out an attempted base stealer, a strikeout and a ground out.

The Lopes used a staff start with the idea Utah was preparing solely for WAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year Ryan Denhart. It worked, as they blanked the Utes for six consecutive innings.

"Just keep them guessing," GCU assistant coach Chelsey Broermann said. "We have a very talented staff and we were ready to do something like that. I don't think they were ready for it. We did a great job as a staff collectively."

GCU broke through in the fourth inning, when Dietrich went the opposite way for a single that moved sophomore center Kristin Fifield from first to third. Utah's throw to third went into foul territory, allowing Dietrich to advance to second and draw another throw, which sent Fifield home to beat a throw home and tie the score at 1-1.

Lopes freshman shortstop Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage made a lunging catch on a liner in the hole when Utah had a seventh-inning threat with a runner on base.

The tables turned on Aguilar-Beaucage in bottom of the seventh. Her potential extra-base hit was snatched away with a diving catch by Utah left fielder Haley Denning.

Momentum swung and the Utes seemingly put the Lopes away with five runs in the top of the eighth.

"They were calm, cool, collected," Broermann said of the Lopes. "We were never out of it. Even when we were down 6-1, there was still a buzz in the dugout. They knew that it was just a matter of time. We were going to give them a game for sure."

Utah native Daisy Taloa opened the Lopes' half of the inning with a hard single in her first GCU at bat. Nicoletti followed with her third hit and the rally compiled pressure on Utah. The lead dwindled to 6-5 with Lopes on first and third when the game ended on an upbeat for GCU.

"They are fired up about the rest of the weekend," Broermann said. "So much to look forward to. Utah's such a great team. For us to come out and show we deserve to be on the field with them and competing the first game out, the spirit's high. Energy's good. Attitude. Competitive spirit. It's been 337 days so it's all pent up. We're trying to let it all out. So help whoever's on the other end of that."

Nicoletti collected three singles Thursday night, following up on the breakthrough season she had as a sophomore with a team-best .380 batting average before play was halted by COVID-19.

"She's so solid for us," Broermann said of Nicoletti. "She's proven up there. We love the seniority that she brings to the team. She's got so many tools. She might slap. She might hit. She might bunt. Be ready for anything. Good luck starting the lineup with that and then everyone rallies around her. She's such a tone-setter and a table-setter."

The Lopes take that strong feeling into Friday, when they play Weber State at 3 p.m. and Montana at 5:30 p.m. at GCU Softball Stadium. Because of COVID-19 protocols, attendance is restricted to GCU students and people who are on the teams' pass list.