Hays wins No. 500 with doubleheader sweep

Friday, April 22

Phoenix, Ariz.

4:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

31-10, 0

New Mexico State

10-27, 0

NM State

Grand Canyon

4/22/2022 10:38:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

Fifield goes 3 for 3 with 2 home runs in Game 2

By: Kellie Reynolds

Grand Canyon head coach Shanon Hays reached 500 career wins with a GCU doubleheader sweep of New Mexico State on Friday at GCU Softball Stadium.

"Really good day defensively and pitching besides two innings where we lost focus in the circle," Lopes head coach Shanon Hays said. "NMSU is a good hitting team that will make you pay for mistakes, and they did one inning off Ariel (Thompson). But we put together some offense when we needed to. Kristin (Fifield) had a really good day along with Katelyn (Dunckel). Big home runs. Denae (Chatman) as well. Hope we come out ready tomorrow."

After 3 1/2 scoreless innings, the Lopes got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning in Game 1. Graduate first baseman Denae Chatman junior catcher Kinsey Koeltzow hit singles to put runners on first and third for junior right fielder Kristin Fifield. The Lopes grabbed their first run of the game on a fielder's choice to second base by Fifield.

GCU junior Hannah Burnett followed with her second hit of the game with a single up the middle, putting runners on first and third once again. A wild pitch brought home Fifield and moved Burnett to third. A sacrifice fly to left field from senior third baseman Savannah Tourville brought home Burnett and gave the Lopes a 3-0 lead.

The Aggies countered in the top of the fifth inning to tie the score at 3-3. In the bottom of the fifth, senior left fielder Gianna Nicoletti drew a leadoff walk. Sophomore hortstop Katelyn Dunckel hit her seventh home run of the season and to reclaim the lead at 5-3. With runners on first and second, Fifield singled to second base and loaded the bases for sophomore pinch hitter Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage. A sacrifice fly to right field from Aguilar-Beaucage scored Chatman. Tourville singled to the shortstop to bring home Koeltzow and give the Lopes a 7-3 lead.

GCU added one more run to their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Nicoletti led off with a single and stole second and third before scoring on a throwing error by the Aggies catcher.

Lopes right-hander Ariel Thompson shut down the Aggies in the seventh inning with two strikeouts and a ground ball to secure her 16th win and 14th complete game of the season.

Fifield homers twice in Game 2 win

The Lopes got things going a few innings earlier in Game 2 with Koeltzow leading off the second inning with a single through the left side and Fifield following with a home run down the right field line to take a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third, Nicoletti started things off with a bunt single and stole second to score on Dunckel's double down the left field line. Graduate center fielder Stephanie Reed doubled, putting runners on second and third for Chatman, who grounded out to short to score Dunckel for a 5-0 lead. Koeltzow once again singled to the left side, scoring Reed. In her second at bat of the game, Fifield hit her second home run to life the Lopes to a 7-0 lead.

GCU did not stop there. In the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs, Dunckel got hit by a pitch and Reed followed with a single through the right side. Chatman hit a no-doubter to left center for her 12th home run of the season.

NMSU was not going to go away, grabbing three runs in the top of the fifth inning to extend the game. The Lopes were unable to score in the bottom of the fifth and sophomore right-hander Kaila Eastburn came in for relief and shut down the Aggies in the top of the sixth.

It was Nicoletti once again who led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk, stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Dunckel. With the bases loaded and one out, Koeltzow called game with a single to center field to score Nicoletti and secure the run-rule win.

The Lopes are back in action on Saturday at 1 p.m. as they look to complete the sweep over the Aggies at GCU Softball Stadium.