Completed Event: Softball at Arizona State on October 15, 2025 ,
Softball
at Arizona State
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, February 27
Phoenix, Ariz.
1:30 p.m.
Grand Canyon
6-7
10
vs
0
New Mexico
1-9
1
2
3
4
5
6
R
H
E
Grand Canyon
1
1
0
0
5
3
10
11
0
New Mexico
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
3
Offense explodes in Game 1 over New Mexico
2/27/2021 8:45:00 PM | Softball
GCU falls to no. 2 Oklahoma in second game
Looking to bounce back after a tough outing in day one of the GCU Purple Classic the Grand Canyon softball team took on New Mexico and No.2 Oklahoma. The Lopes defeated the Lobos in Game 1 in a six-inning run rule then fell after five innings to the Sooners.
"This was a much better day, obviously getting game one and getting it with a run-rule was huge. I was proud of offense, but I was so proud of our defense for cleaning up our physical and mental mistakes which was completely out of character for us," said Lopes head coach Ann Pierson.
GCU was the away team against the Lobos and jumped out on top in the first inning as junior left fielder, Gianna Nicoletti started off the game with an infield single. With runners on first and third the Lopes gave themselves on an attempted steal to get Nicoletti across the plate to get GCU their first run.
Back-to-back singles by freshman shortstop, Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage and senior first baseman, Lilly Bishop started off the second inning for GCU. Aguilar-Beaucage and Bishop moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Freshman third baseman, Daisy Taloa clutched up with some quality situational hitting as she hit a hard ground ball to second base scoring Aguilar-Beaucage.
The Lopes did not score again till the fifth inning when they added five runs. Nicoletti once again started off the rally for the Lopes with a bunt single. With bases loaded and one out freshman designed player, Jacie Hambrick hit a two RBI single. Two batters later Bishop sent one off the center field wall scoring one more run for the Lopes. GCU picked up their final run of the inning on a fielder's choice by the Lobos defense.
"New Mexico is a very aggressive and talented hitting team; so, it was a great win over a very talented team, but also just the way we did it getting back to our plan at the plate with getting on and running all over the bases and putting pressure on the defense as well as coming up with big hits when we needed to," said Pierson.
GCU pushed three more runs across the plate in the sixth inning as junior Adrienne Visintine drew a pinch hit walk to start things off for the Lopes. Visintine stole second and then advanced to third one batter later. Senior Christine Bellavia recorded her first hit and RBIs of her career with a pinch hit double to left center field giving the Lopes a 9-0 lead over the Lobos. Aguilar-Beaucage collected the final RBI of the game with a double to left center field scoring Bellavia.
"I am just so proud of Chris to come up big with her first collegiate hit," said Pierson. "She has been such a main stay on the bases for us over the past three and a half years. For her to come in and get her opportunity and hit a shot in the gap for her double. I could not be prouder of her because this kid works hard day in and day out and she deserves all the good things to happen to her."
"Ryan threw a tremendous game: her pitch count was down, she was mixing everything, she had everything she needed to be able to throw strikes with whatever pitch she wanted. Not to mention our defense backed her up," said Pierson.
Senior right-hander, Ryan Denhart tossed a gem only allowing two hits for the Lobos and
throwing her third complete game and earning her first shutout of the season.
"I was really pleased with that and blessed with Izzabela Goerke behind the plate with her first start. She did a great job managing the game and working with Ryan and that was. just a great way to start the day,' said Pierson.
Fifield and Leyvas record hits against No. 2 Oklahoma
GCU took on the No.2 Sooners in their second game of the day and held them tight for the four innings of play.
"Oklahoma is an unbelievable program and every year they are strong and this one is no different," said Pierson. "They are just absolutely unraveling all teams that they face."
Oklahoma got out to an early lead as they scored three runs on three hits in the top of the first inning. Sophomore left-hander, Sydnie Sahhar came in for the Lopes in the first inning with two outs and retired the first batter she saw. In the second inning she gave up one hit and kept the Sooners off the board.
"Sydnie came in and threw so many good innings. I am so proud of her for just digging her heals in and just throwing everything she had at them. She just did a tremendous job," said Pierson.
The Sooners added a run in both the third and fourth innings to take a 5-0 lead over the Lopes. GCU picked up their first hit of the game when centerfielder Kristin Fifield singled up the middle. Oklahoma ran away with the game in the top of the fifth inning when they scored nine runs off of eight hits.
"We kept it close for a while and it got out of control obviously in the fifth," said Pierson. "However, before that they were having to call signals, they had to put a squeeze on and figure out how to manufacture runs rather than just keep hitting the ball out of the park which we have seen them do to other opponents this year."
GCU earned their second hit of the game when freshman Kaytlin Leyvas pinch hit and collected her first hit of her career with a single to right center field. The Lopes however would go down in order after that.
"We had some hard-hit balls which was good, we lowered out strikeouts on a very talented strikeout pitcher and Kaytlin got her first collegiate hit on a rocket to the right center field gap," said Pierson. "There were a lot of really good wins today and we just know that we keep getting these challenges and lessons thrown at us each and every day and game. I am just really pleased with how our kids are responding to it and they just keep punching."
"We have another tough one tomorrow, and I think we will be ready to get back out there and take on Iowa State. I do not think we showed them a fraction of who we are yesterday. I'll be excited to see a team who has cleaned everything up tomorrow," said Pierson.
The Lopes close out the GCU Purple Classic on Sunday with Iowa State at 11:00 a.m. in the GCU Softball Stadium.
"This was a much better day, obviously getting game one and getting it with a run-rule was huge. I was proud of offense, but I was so proud of our defense for cleaning up our physical and mental mistakes which was completely out of character for us," said Lopes head coach Ann Pierson.
GCU was the away team against the Lobos and jumped out on top in the first inning as junior left fielder, Gianna Nicoletti started off the game with an infield single. With runners on first and third the Lopes gave themselves on an attempted steal to get Nicoletti across the plate to get GCU their first run.
Back-to-back singles by freshman shortstop, Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage and senior first baseman, Lilly Bishop started off the second inning for GCU. Aguilar-Beaucage and Bishop moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Freshman third baseman, Daisy Taloa clutched up with some quality situational hitting as she hit a hard ground ball to second base scoring Aguilar-Beaucage.
The Lopes did not score again till the fifth inning when they added five runs. Nicoletti once again started off the rally for the Lopes with a bunt single. With bases loaded and one out freshman designed player, Jacie Hambrick hit a two RBI single. Two batters later Bishop sent one off the center field wall scoring one more run for the Lopes. GCU picked up their final run of the inning on a fielder's choice by the Lobos defense.
"New Mexico is a very aggressive and talented hitting team; so, it was a great win over a very talented team, but also just the way we did it getting back to our plan at the plate with getting on and running all over the bases and putting pressure on the defense as well as coming up with big hits when we needed to," said Pierson.
GCU pushed three more runs across the plate in the sixth inning as junior Adrienne Visintine drew a pinch hit walk to start things off for the Lopes. Visintine stole second and then advanced to third one batter later. Senior Christine Bellavia recorded her first hit and RBIs of her career with a pinch hit double to left center field giving the Lopes a 9-0 lead over the Lobos. Aguilar-Beaucage collected the final RBI of the game with a double to left center field scoring Bellavia.
"I am just so proud of Chris to come up big with her first collegiate hit," said Pierson. "She has been such a main stay on the bases for us over the past three and a half years. For her to come in and get her opportunity and hit a shot in the gap for her double. I could not be prouder of her because this kid works hard day in and day out and she deserves all the good things to happen to her."
"Ryan threw a tremendous game: her pitch count was down, she was mixing everything, she had everything she needed to be able to throw strikes with whatever pitch she wanted. Not to mention our defense backed her up," said Pierson.
Senior right-hander, Ryan Denhart tossed a gem only allowing two hits for the Lobos and
throwing her third complete game and earning her first shutout of the season.
"I was really pleased with that and blessed with Izzabela Goerke behind the plate with her first start. She did a great job managing the game and working with Ryan and that was. just a great way to start the day,' said Pierson.
Fifield and Leyvas record hits against No. 2 Oklahoma
GCU took on the No.2 Sooners in their second game of the day and held them tight for the four innings of play.
"Oklahoma is an unbelievable program and every year they are strong and this one is no different," said Pierson. "They are just absolutely unraveling all teams that they face."
Oklahoma got out to an early lead as they scored three runs on three hits in the top of the first inning. Sophomore left-hander, Sydnie Sahhar came in for the Lopes in the first inning with two outs and retired the first batter she saw. In the second inning she gave up one hit and kept the Sooners off the board.
"Sydnie came in and threw so many good innings. I am so proud of her for just digging her heals in and just throwing everything she had at them. She just did a tremendous job," said Pierson.
The Sooners added a run in both the third and fourth innings to take a 5-0 lead over the Lopes. GCU picked up their first hit of the game when centerfielder Kristin Fifield singled up the middle. Oklahoma ran away with the game in the top of the fifth inning when they scored nine runs off of eight hits.
"We kept it close for a while and it got out of control obviously in the fifth," said Pierson. "However, before that they were having to call signals, they had to put a squeeze on and figure out how to manufacture runs rather than just keep hitting the ball out of the park which we have seen them do to other opponents this year."
GCU earned their second hit of the game when freshman Kaytlin Leyvas pinch hit and collected her first hit of her career with a single to right center field. The Lopes however would go down in order after that.
"We had some hard-hit balls which was good, we lowered out strikeouts on a very talented strikeout pitcher and Kaytlin got her first collegiate hit on a rocket to the right center field gap," said Pierson. "There were a lot of really good wins today and we just know that we keep getting these challenges and lessons thrown at us each and every day and game. I am just really pleased with how our kids are responding to it and they just keep punching."
"We have another tough one tomorrow, and I think we will be ready to get back out there and take on Iowa State. I do not think we showed them a fraction of who we are yesterday. I'll be excited to see a team who has cleaned everything up tomorrow," said Pierson.
The Lopes close out the GCU Purple Classic on Sunday with Iowa State at 11:00 a.m. in the GCU Softball Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Denhart, Ryan (4-1)
L: GUINDON, Emma (1-4)
Batting:
2B: Bellavia, Christine 1 ; Aguilar-Beaucage, Anjolee 1
RBI: Hambrick, Jacie 2 ; Bellavia, Christine 2 ; Aguilar-Beaucage, Anjolee 1 ; Bishop, Lilly 2 ; Goerke, Izzabela 1 ; Taloa, Daisy 1
SH: Goerke, Izzabela 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nicoletti, Gianna 1 ; Dyer, Tabitha 1 ; Visintine, Adrienne 1 ; Fifield, Kristin 1 ; Tourville, Savannah 2 ; Bellavia, Christine 2 ; Aguilar-Beaucage, Anjolee 2
SB: Visintine, Adrienne 1 ; Tourville, Savannah 1 ; Bellavia, Christine 1
CS: Fifield, Kristin 1
HBP: Dyer, Tabitha 1 ; Tourville, Savannah 1
Batting:
2B: O'GRADY, Cameryn 1
Base Running:
HBP: O'GRADY, Cameryn 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UTL
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
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