Purple Classic opens with 2 losses

Friday, February 26

Phoenix, Ariz.

1:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

5-6

Portland State

1-1

Grand Canyon

Portland State

2/26/2021 8:39:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Multiple rallies aren't enough on tourney's 1st day

By: Kellie Reynolds

Grand Canyon softball opened up the GCU Purple Classic on Friday with two losses despite a late rally against Portland State in a 5-4 defeat and an early lead against No. 25 Iowa State before falling 7-2.

"Definitely not the start that I thought we were going to have," GCU head coach Ann Pierson said. "Being back home and coming off a great weekend in San Diego, I expected us at least get a split today. We also knew that Portland State is very good and aggressive, as well as scrappy. Then, of course, there is a reason that Iowa State is ranked in the top 25. They are a very good team and very aggressive."

In the opener, the Vikings got on the board first in the second inning. Lopes freshman right-handed pitcher Jacie Hambrick kept Portland State off the scoreboard after that.

"We got to see some really good things today," Pierson said "I thought Jacie threw well and that Ryan (Denhar) threw a lot of really great pitches. We just made some mistakes, some physical and mental mistakes that we haven't been making, which is a good thing because we know we can play better than we did today."

GCU (5-7) got on the board in the top of the sixth inning. Hambrick and junior left fielder Gianna Nicoletti started a rally with back-to-back, no-out singles in the sixth. Center fielder Kristin Fifield crushed a 1-1 pitch to the left-field wall, clearing the bases to cut the lead to 5-2 with a triple.

With their last opportunity to score in the seventh, the Lopes put together another rally. This time, it was freshman shortstop Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage starting things off with a double to center field. With one out, Hambrick picked up her third hit of the game with a double down the left-field line. scoring Aguilar-Beaucage. GCU scored its last run of the game when Nicoletti hit a hard ball to short stop, scoring Hambrick to make the Vikings lead 5-4.

"We got a little bit away from our approach and plan at the plate," Pierson said. "And then when we got back to it, we started to see great things happening. I was pleased with our ability to get people on base, but we have to be able to get them in. When you are in that position, you have to be able to clutch up and drive runners in."

Lopes outhit Cyclones in loss

Despite starting out behind 1-0 in the first inning, the Lopes responded right away by tying it at 1-1 in the bottom half of the inning. Nicoletti drew a leadoff walk and moved to second when graduate student Tabitha Dyer recorded her first hit in a Lopes uniform. With the bases loaded and two outs, Aguilar-Beaucage hit a hard ground ball to third base that was mishandled resulting in the Lopes' first run.

Once again, a leadoff walk jump-started the Lopes offense in the second inning. Senior first baseman Lilly Bishop drew four balls. Pinch-runner Christine Bellavia. Bellavia moved to third after back-to-back wild pitches and then scored on a double to center field by freshman third baseman Daisy Taloa.

In the top of the third inning, the Cyclones responded by scoring three runs on two hits and taking a 4-2 lead over the Lopes. The Lopes looked like they were going to get back a few of those runs in the bottom of third inning when junior second baseman Savannah Tourville and Hambrick hit back-to-back singles with no outs but they were left stranded.

Denhart kept the Lopes in the game with three scoreless innings heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. GCU put together another rally when Bishop led off with a single to left field and Nicoletti followed with a single a batter later, but the Cyclones again were able to hold them off.

Iowa State managed to score three more runs in the top of the seventh inning to seal the deal.

"We have another tough day tomorrow," Pierson said. "New Mexico is very good and aggressive and then, of course, Oklahoma is Oklahoma. We need to get some good rest tonight and then keep working through. We are a very talented team, and we keep learning a lot of good lessons every inning we compete."

The Lopes host New Mexico and Oklahoma on Saturday in Day 2 of the GCU Purple Classic, beginning at 1:30 p.m.