Season ends on WAC tourney loss to Aggies

Friday, May 14

Seattle, Wash.

Grand Canyon

19-30

New Mexico State

30-20

NMSTATE

Grand Canyon

Photo by: WAC

5/14/2021 10:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Nicoletti goes 3 for 7 with walk in 2 tournament games at Seattle U

By: Kellie Reynolds

SEATTLE — The Grand Canyon softball team was eliminated from the WAC Tournament on Friday when the Lopes lost 6-2 to No. 1 seed New Mexico State.

The Aggies (30-20) started the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning. GCU responded in the bottom half of the inning when junior left fielder Gianna Nicoletti drew a leadoff walk and extended her school record with her 28th stolen base of the season. Lopes junior second baseman Savannah Tourville tied the game at 1-1 by scoring Nicoletti on a sacrifice fly to center field.

New Mexico State took the lead back in the top of the second inning, scoring one run on two hits.

The Lopes tied the game again in the bottom of the third, when Tourville knocked a two-out single to left field and advanced to second on an Aggie error. Sophomore center fielder Kristin Fifield followed with a single to center, scoring Tourville to make it a 2-2 game.

Once again, the Aggies responded and took back the lead in the top of the fourth inning with two runs off four hits for a 4-2 edge. After a scoreless fifth inning, New Mexico State added two more runs in the sixth inning to increase its lead to 6-2.

With freshman Jacie Hambrick pitching two shutout relief innings, GCU showed signs of a comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning. Senior designated player Kaileigh Holland led off with a single down the line. With two outs, Nicoletti picked up her third hit of the tournament, but the Lopes were stopped there to end the season at 19-30.