Upcoming Event: Softball versus Pima CC on September 30, 2025 at 6 p.m.
Softball
6 p.m.
vs Pima CC
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, March 19
Phoenix, Ariz.
4 p.m.
Grand Canyon
10-13
13
vs
5
Idaho State
6-7
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Idaho State
0
0
4
0
1
5
9
1
Grand Canyon
5
0
1
6
1
13
16
1
Photo by: Elizabeth Tinajero
Pierson earns 500th win
3/19/2021 10:54:00 PM | Softball
Lopes split games on Day 1 of GCU Invitational
Grand Canyon head coach Ann Pierson earned her 500th career win with a 13-5, run-rule victory against Idaho State on Friday night.
The Lopes returned for a GCU Invitational nightcap, falling 4-2 to Southern Utah at GCU Softball Stadium.
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"Great night and a great way to start the weekend," Pierson said. "I was really happy with the way the kids played. We put in a lot of work this week and a lot of time trying to adjust to some things and some mistakes we have been making. The kids played really well in both games and we just really worked together from the dugout to the kids on the field and that was the best part about it."
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GCU struck first in the bottom of the first inning as junior left fielder Gianna Nicoletti led off with an infield single. Senior right fielder Tabitha Dyer scored Nicoletti and put the Lopes on the board. Senior first baseman Lilly Bishop followed with double, scoring Dyer. With runners on second and third and one out, freshman shortstop Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage singled, making it 4-0 GCU. With two outs, senior catcher Kaylee Dietrich singled down the left-field line to add a run.
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In the top of the third, the Bengals managed to string together a few hits and closed the gap until the Lopes scored four runs on three hits for a 5-4 lead.
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"Lexy Coons threw a great game and did not give in when she was facing adversity in the third inning," Pierson said. "I was really proud of her to just stick in there and continue to dig her heels in and grind it out. She did a fantastic job in Game 1."
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GCU responded in the bottom half of third when junior third baseman Savannah Tourville led off with single up the middle. With bases loaded and one out, junior Adrienne Visintine hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to score Tourville.
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Another big inning for the Lopes came in the fourth when they scored six runs on seven hits. Dyer started the rally with a single to third base and was followed by Bishop's second single. With bases loaded and no outs, Tourville singled up the middle to score two runs. Aguilar-Beaucage followed with a sacrifice fly to center field. Dietrich made it 11-4 with a solo home run to left field, her second of the season. GCU added one more run in the inning after three singles in a row from second baseman Jordan Pierson, Nicoletti and Dyer.Â
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The Bengals did not go down without a fight, as they extended the game by scoring one run on three hits in the top of the fifth to make it 12-5.
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GCU, however, got the last run it needed to close out the run-rule finish as sophomore center fielder Kristin Fifield doubled to left field and scored on Aguilar-Beaucage's single to right to close the game.
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"I really appreciated the kids and their celebration in our first win of the day, and I am so happy to be a part of this university for as long as I have and continuing to be," Pierson said. "To get to do it with the staff that I am doing this with, it is a special group of young women that I get to work with every day. I have also been with J.J. Sayson for so long, so this is not just Mandy Gardner, Chelsey Broermann and Nova Siegel. It is J.J., Kellie (Reynolds), Clarke (Curfman), Kevin (Brady), Kaeman (Mitchell) and all the people that take care of our program and allow us to do what we do. There is not a different group of kids I would want to do this with. They have been fantastic, and we are looking to build on it tomorrow."
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Early scoring not enough in Game 2
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The Lopes, as the visitor, picked up where they left off in Game 1. Nicoletti started the game with a high-hopping infield single and stole second. A single to the left side by Dyer set up runners on first and third. GCU scored its first run as Dyer stole second and Nicoletti took home on the throw to second. Dyer came around and scored on a single up the middle by Fifield, giving the Lopes a 2-0 lead. Â
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"Ryan (Denhart) came in and threw a great game as well," Pierson said. "That is a lot of pressure going into that game, going against your little sister (Southern Utah pitcher Tyler Denhart). There is a lot more to it in addition to the usual competition, so I was really proud of her."
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Denhart, a senior, kept SUU to two scoreless innings, but the Thunderbirds took the lead with three runs on three hits in the third and added a final run in the sixth. Â
"Southern Utah made some great plays defensively and we swung our bats well and just could not score more runs than they got," Pierson said. "I was really happy with the game and happy with their approach and just really pleased."
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GCU is back in action Saturday as it takes on Southern Utah at 4 p.m. and Idaho State at 6 p.m. at GCU Softball Stadium.
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The Lopes returned for a GCU Invitational nightcap, falling 4-2 to Southern Utah at GCU Softball Stadium.
Â
"Great night and a great way to start the weekend," Pierson said. "I was really happy with the way the kids played. We put in a lot of work this week and a lot of time trying to adjust to some things and some mistakes we have been making. The kids played really well in both games and we just really worked together from the dugout to the kids on the field and that was the best part about it."
Â
GCU struck first in the bottom of the first inning as junior left fielder Gianna Nicoletti led off with an infield single. Senior right fielder Tabitha Dyer scored Nicoletti and put the Lopes on the board. Senior first baseman Lilly Bishop followed with double, scoring Dyer. With runners on second and third and one out, freshman shortstop Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage singled, making it 4-0 GCU. With two outs, senior catcher Kaylee Dietrich singled down the left-field line to add a run.
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In the top of the third, the Bengals managed to string together a few hits and closed the gap until the Lopes scored four runs on three hits for a 5-4 lead.
  Â
"Lexy Coons threw a great game and did not give in when she was facing adversity in the third inning," Pierson said. "I was really proud of her to just stick in there and continue to dig her heels in and grind it out. She did a fantastic job in Game 1."
Â
GCU responded in the bottom half of third when junior third baseman Savannah Tourville led off with single up the middle. With bases loaded and one out, junior Adrienne Visintine hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to score Tourville.
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Another big inning for the Lopes came in the fourth when they scored six runs on seven hits. Dyer started the rally with a single to third base and was followed by Bishop's second single. With bases loaded and no outs, Tourville singled up the middle to score two runs. Aguilar-Beaucage followed with a sacrifice fly to center field. Dietrich made it 11-4 with a solo home run to left field, her second of the season. GCU added one more run in the inning after three singles in a row from second baseman Jordan Pierson, Nicoletti and Dyer.Â
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The Bengals did not go down without a fight, as they extended the game by scoring one run on three hits in the top of the fifth to make it 12-5.
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GCU, however, got the last run it needed to close out the run-rule finish as sophomore center fielder Kristin Fifield doubled to left field and scored on Aguilar-Beaucage's single to right to close the game.
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"I really appreciated the kids and their celebration in our first win of the day, and I am so happy to be a part of this university for as long as I have and continuing to be," Pierson said. "To get to do it with the staff that I am doing this with, it is a special group of young women that I get to work with every day. I have also been with J.J. Sayson for so long, so this is not just Mandy Gardner, Chelsey Broermann and Nova Siegel. It is J.J., Kellie (Reynolds), Clarke (Curfman), Kevin (Brady), Kaeman (Mitchell) and all the people that take care of our program and allow us to do what we do. There is not a different group of kids I would want to do this with. They have been fantastic, and we are looking to build on it tomorrow."
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Early scoring not enough in Game 2
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The Lopes, as the visitor, picked up where they left off in Game 1. Nicoletti started the game with a high-hopping infield single and stole second. A single to the left side by Dyer set up runners on first and third. GCU scored its first run as Dyer stole second and Nicoletti took home on the throw to second. Dyer came around and scored on a single up the middle by Fifield, giving the Lopes a 2-0 lead. Â
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"Ryan (Denhart) came in and threw a great game as well," Pierson said. "That is a lot of pressure going into that game, going against your little sister (Southern Utah pitcher Tyler Denhart). There is a lot more to it in addition to the usual competition, so I was really proud of her."
Â
Denhart, a senior, kept SUU to two scoreless innings, but the Thunderbirds took the lead with three runs on three hits in the third and added a final run in the sixth. Â
"Southern Utah made some great plays defensively and we swung our bats well and just could not score more runs than they got," Pierson said. "I was really happy with the game and happy with their approach and just really pleased."
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GCU is back in action Saturday as it takes on Southern Utah at 4 p.m. and Idaho State at 6 p.m. at GCU Softball Stadium.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Coons, Lexy (1-2)
L: NEWMAN, Mailee (3-3)
Batting:
2B: HESS, Morgan 1 ; ESQUIBLE, Brooklyne 1 ; MARTINEZ, Jillian 1
RBI: BORDENKECHER, Emma 1 ; SETHMAN, Skyler 1 ; MARTINEZ, Jillian 1
SF: BORDENKECHER, Emma 1
Base Running:
RUNS: CARGILL, Isabel 1 ; LEWIS, Rheanne 1 ; NEWMAN, Mailee 1 ; ESQUIBLE, Brooklyne 1 ; TAGO, Frankie 1
Batting:
2B: Dyer, Tabitha 1 ; Bishop, Lilly 1 ; Fifield, Kristin 1
HR: Dietrich, Kaylee 1
RBI: Dyer, Tabitha 1 ; Bishop, Lilly 1 ; Tourville, Savannah 2 ; Aguilar-Beaucage, Anjolee 4 ; Dietrich, Kaylee 2 ; Visintine, Adrienne 1
SH: Tourville, Savannah 1
SF: Aguilar-Beaucage, Anjolee 1 ; Visintine, Adrienne 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nicoletti, Gianna 1 ; Dyer, Tabitha 2 ; Bishop, Lilly 1 ; Bellavia, Christine 1 ; Fifield, Kristin 3 ; Tourville, Savannah 2 ; Aguilar-Beaucage, Anjolee 1 ; Dietrich, Kaylee 1 ; Pierson, Jordan 1
SB: Tourville, Savannah 1
HBP: Nicoletti, Gianna 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
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C/INF
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UTL
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UTL
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