Lopes drop 2 to Dixie State

Friday, April 29

Phoenix, Ariz.

4:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

33-11, 0

Dixie State

17-28, 0

Dixie State

Grand Canyon

4/29/2022 10:26:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

Nicoletti goes 2 for 3 in nightcap; GCU gets outright WAC West title

By: Kellie Reynolds

The Grand Canyon softball team welcomed Dixie State for its last home series of the season. For the first time this season, the Lopes dropped two games n a WAC series with the Trailblazers' Friday doubleheader sweep at GCU Softball Stadium.

"Well, a bad day all around for us," Lopes head coach Shanon Hays said. "We just had bad pitching. Too many walks and non-competitive pitches. They have great offensive numbers and hats off to them for hitting mistakes and pitching well. Hope we can bounce back."

Despite the losses, GCU clinched an outright WAC West Division title with second-place Seattle U also losing. The Lopes' 16-4 conference mark gives them a five-game lead with four conference games remaining, but GCU is tied with East Division leader Stephen F. Austin in the race for the No. 1 WAC Tournament seed.

GCU and Dixie State were scoreless through the first three innings of play in Friday's first game. The Trailblazers broke things open in the top of the fourth with three runs on two hits.

The Lopes got one run back in the bottom half of the inning as graduate first baseman Denae Chatman hit a solo shot to center field to start off the inning.

There were two more scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth on both sides before Dixie State grabbed one more run in the top of the seventh inning to take a 4-1 lead.

GCU tried to get a rally going in the bottom of the seventh as junior second baseman Macee Barnes started off the inning with a single to center field and moved to second on a ground ball to shortstop. Barnes scored with two outs on a single to left center from junior right fielder Kristin Fifield. The Lopes rally stopped there as they fell to Dixie State 2-4.

Nicoletti goes 2 for 3 in Game 2

Game 2 started off similar to Game 1, as neither team managed to get on the board in the first inning. Once again, it was Dixie State who scored first when it grabbed two runs in the top of the second and six more in the top of the third inning to take an 8-0 lead over the Lopes.

GCU got one run back in the bottom of the third inning. Senior left fielder Gianna Nicoletti hit a one-out triple down the left field line. Nicoletti was brought home by a sacrifice fly from sophomore shortstop Katelyn Dunckel to give the Lopes their first run.

GCU scored one more run in the bottom of the fifth inning after senior third baseman Savannah Tourville singled to right field. A pinch-hit single from sophomore Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage put runners on first and second with one out for the Lopes. With two outs, Dunckel doubled to center field, bringing home Aguilar-Beaucage.

The Trailblazers managed to score three more runs in the top of the sixth inning and take down the Lopes 11-2.

GCU is back in action for their final home game of the season for Saturday's Senior Day at 1 p.m. as it looks to avoid the sweep from the Trailblazers.