GCU drops rubber match with Dixie

Saturday, April 10

Phoenix, Ariz.

1 p.m.

Grand Canyon

16-21, 5-4

Dixie State

17-19, 5-4

Dixie State

Grand Canyon

4/10/2021 4:57:00 PM | Softball

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Lopes move to 5-4 in WAC play after Trailblazers rally

By: Kellie Reynolds

The Grand Canyon softball hosted Dixie State in a Saturday rubber match at GCU Softball Stadium, where the Lopes were the first to score with two runs in the fourth and fifth innings before the Trailblazers answered in the sixth and seventh innings to take the series with a 4-2 win.

"Tough way to end the weekend," said Lopes head coach Ann Pierson. "Lexy Coons threw incredibly well and I am so proud of her gritty performance as she did everything I asked; keep us in the game to give our offense a chance. We were very aggressive and competitive at the plate and had a much better game against Burgess. We just need to keep learning and the slam the door on the close game."

After three and a half scoreless innings of play, the Lopes strung together a two-out rally when senior first baseman Lilly Bishop singled through the right side and was pinch ran for by Christine Bellavia. GCU junior second baseman Savannah Tourville, who went 2 for 3, doubled off the right-field wall to score Bellavia for a 1-0 edge.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, GCU senior catcher Kaylee Dietrich led off with a walk and was pinch ran for by Aracelia Pesqueira. With two outs and Pesqueria on first, right fielder Tabitha Dyer doubled to deep left field to give GCU a 2-0 lead.

Senior right hander Lexy Coons kept Dixie State off the scoreboard until the top of the sixth inning, when the Trailblazers tied the game at 2-2 on outfielder Kasey Crawford's two-run double. The Trailblazers took a 4-2 lead in the seventh inning on first baseman Mikaela Thomson's two-out, two-run home run and put the Lopes down in order in the bottom of the seventh.

Dixie State (17-19, 5-4 WAC) and GCU (16-21, 5-4 WAC) are tied for second place in the WAC, where Seattle U (17-16, 4-2 WAC) holds a half-game lead.

GCU is back in action on Wednesday, when they travel to Tucson for a doubleheader with No. 8 Arizona.