Upcoming Event: Softball versus Embry-Riddle on October 8, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Softball
7 p.m.
vs Embry-Riddle
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, April 23
Phoenix, Ariz.
1 p.m.
Grand Canyon
33-10, 0
14
vs
6
New Mexico State
10-29, 0
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
NM State
3
3
0
0
0
6
4
3
Grand Canyon
1
2
5
4
2
14
11
0
Photo by: Zach Campbell
GCU clinches WAC West share with sweep
4/23/2022 4:35:00 PM | Softball
With 6 games left, Lopes 3-0 weekend vs. Aggies locks up at least co-title
The Grand Canyon softball team clinched a share of the WAC West Division title with a series sweep of New Mexico State that was capped by Saturday's 14-6 victory at GCU Softball Stadium.
With six games remaining, the Lopes have a six-game division lead on second-place Seattle U and also are close to clinching a WAC Tournament first-round bye, which goes to the conference's top two seeds. Stephen F. Austin (15-3) leads second-place Abiliene Christian (13-8) in the Southwest Division.Â
GCU junior Kristin Fifield led the offense Saturday with her second consecutive four-RBI game and her third home run in twwo games.
"Started off really ugly today," Lopes head coach Shanon Hays said. "Ariel (Thompson) did not have her good stuff today. Kaila (Eastburn) and Jacie (Hambrick) came in today and steadied the ship. Our offense got going today and played well. Kristin (Fifield) had another good day. She took some really good swings. We had some great production from most of the lineup. We certainly need to clean some things up to get ready for next week."
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New Mexico State struck first as it came out swinging for a 3-0 lead in the first. GCU countered in the bottom half as sophomore shortstop Katelyn Dunckel hit a one-out triple down the left field line and scored on graduate center fielder Stephanie Reed's ground ball to cut the lead to 3-1.
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The Aggies added three more runs in the top of the second inning, increasing their lead to 6-1. The Lopes rallied once again as junior catcher Kinsey Koeltzow started off the inning with a walk. With one out, junior designated player Hannah Burnett tripled to right center, scoring Koeltzow. GCU grabbed one more run when Burnett scored on a ground ball hit by senior third baseman Savannah Tourville.Â
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Sophomore pitcher Kaila Eastburn came in for relief in the top of the third inning for the Lopes and shut down the Aggies for the first perfect inning of the game. GCU took the lead in the bottom of the third, when Dunckel was hit by a pitch to start off the inning and Reed followed with a single to put runners on first and second.
Back-to-back wild pitches scored Dunckel and put Reed on third. A third wild pitch scored Reed and put the Lopes within one run at 6-4. With runners on first and second, Fifield tripled to left center to clear the bases and give the Lopes the lead for the first time in the game. GCU added one more run in the bottom of the third when Fifield scored on a Burnett ground ball.
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Eastburn tossed her second perfect inning in the top of the fourth to bring the Lopes back to the plate. This time, it was senior left fielder Gianna Nicoletti who led off with a bunt single and ended up on third after an NMSU throwing error. Dunckel followed with a double down the left field line, scoring Nicoletti. A sacrifice bunt by Reed moved Dunckel to third for graduate first baseman Denae Chatman, who doubled to left center for a 10-6 lead. Fifield cleared the bases with her third home run of the series, putting GCU up 12-6.Â
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Sophomore right-hander Jacie Hambrick came in the top of the fifth for the Lopes and kept the Aggies off the scoreboard.
On the second pitch of the fifth inning, Tourville smashed her first home run of the season to left center field for a 13-6 lead. With runners on first and second and no outs, Dunckel walked to load the bases. Reed called game with a single down the left field line, allowing junior second baseman Macee Barnes to jog home and secure the run-rule win for the Lopes. Â
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GCU is back in action on Friday against Dixie State for a 4:30 p.m. doubleheader in its last series of the season at GCU Softball Stadium.
With six games remaining, the Lopes have a six-game division lead on second-place Seattle U and also are close to clinching a WAC Tournament first-round bye, which goes to the conference's top two seeds. Stephen F. Austin (15-3) leads second-place Abiliene Christian (13-8) in the Southwest Division.Â
GCU junior Kristin Fifield led the offense Saturday with her second consecutive four-RBI game and her third home run in twwo games.
"Started off really ugly today," Lopes head coach Shanon Hays said. "Ariel (Thompson) did not have her good stuff today. Kaila (Eastburn) and Jacie (Hambrick) came in today and steadied the ship. Our offense got going today and played well. Kristin (Fifield) had another good day. She took some really good swings. We had some great production from most of the lineup. We certainly need to clean some things up to get ready for next week."
Â
New Mexico State struck first as it came out swinging for a 3-0 lead in the first. GCU countered in the bottom half as sophomore shortstop Katelyn Dunckel hit a one-out triple down the left field line and scored on graduate center fielder Stephanie Reed's ground ball to cut the lead to 3-1.
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The Aggies added three more runs in the top of the second inning, increasing their lead to 6-1. The Lopes rallied once again as junior catcher Kinsey Koeltzow started off the inning with a walk. With one out, junior designated player Hannah Burnett tripled to right center, scoring Koeltzow. GCU grabbed one more run when Burnett scored on a ground ball hit by senior third baseman Savannah Tourville.Â
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Sophomore pitcher Kaila Eastburn came in for relief in the top of the third inning for the Lopes and shut down the Aggies for the first perfect inning of the game. GCU took the lead in the bottom of the third, when Dunckel was hit by a pitch to start off the inning and Reed followed with a single to put runners on first and second.
Back-to-back wild pitches scored Dunckel and put Reed on third. A third wild pitch scored Reed and put the Lopes within one run at 6-4. With runners on first and second, Fifield tripled to left center to clear the bases and give the Lopes the lead for the first time in the game. GCU added one more run in the bottom of the third when Fifield scored on a Burnett ground ball.
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Eastburn tossed her second perfect inning in the top of the fourth to bring the Lopes back to the plate. This time, it was senior left fielder Gianna Nicoletti who led off with a bunt single and ended up on third after an NMSU throwing error. Dunckel followed with a double down the left field line, scoring Nicoletti. A sacrifice bunt by Reed moved Dunckel to third for graduate first baseman Denae Chatman, who doubled to left center for a 10-6 lead. Fifield cleared the bases with her third home run of the series, putting GCU up 12-6.Â
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Sophomore right-hander Jacie Hambrick came in the top of the fifth for the Lopes and kept the Aggies off the scoreboard.
On the second pitch of the fifth inning, Tourville smashed her first home run of the season to left center field for a 13-6 lead. With runners on first and second and no outs, Dunckel walked to load the bases. Reed called game with a single down the left field line, allowing junior second baseman Macee Barnes to jog home and secure the run-rule win for the Lopes. Â
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GCU is back in action on Friday against Dixie State for a 4:30 p.m. doubleheader in its last series of the season at GCU Softball Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Eastburn, Kaila (2-2)
L: King, J. (6-12)
Batting:
HR: Lopez, R. 1
RBI: Lopez, R. 4 ; Lindsay, H. 1 ; Knight, P. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tanori, H. 2 ; Aragon, G. 1 ; Lopez, R. 2 ; Burton, J. 1
Batting:
2B: Dunckel, Katelyn 1 ; Chatman, Denae 1
3B: Dunckel, Katelyn 1 ; Fifield, Kristin 1 ; Burnett, Hannah 1
HR: Fifield, Kristin 1 ; Tourville, Savannah 1
RBI: Dunckel, Katelyn 1 ; Reed, Stephanie 2 ; Chatman, Denae 1 ; Fifield, Kristin 4 ; Burnett, Hannah 2 ; Tourville, Savannah 2
SH: Reed, Stephanie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nicoletti, Gianna 1 ; Dunckel, Katelyn 3 ; Reed, Stephanie 1 ; Chatman, Denae 2 ; Koeltzow, Kinsey 2 ; Fifield, Kristin 2 ; Burnett, Hannah 1 ; Tourville, Savannah 1 ; Barnes, Macee 1
SB: Nicoletti, Gianna 1
CS: Villaescusa, Emma 1
HBP: Dunckel, Katelyn 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
3
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
4
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P/UTL
/ SoftballUTL
/ Softball
P/UTL
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
INF
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