Win ends WAC regular-season play at CBU

Saturday, May 7

Riverside, Calif.

5 p.m.

Grand Canyon

36-13, 19-5

California Baptist

30-26, 12-12

Grand Canyon

California Baptist

5/7/2022 8:08:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Koeltzow collects 2 hits, 3 RBIs; Lopes clinch top tourney seed

By: Kellie Reynolds

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The Grand Canyon softball team clinched the WAC Tournament's No. 1 seed by closing out the regular season with a Saturday come-from-behind victory that won the weekend series at California Baptist.

GCU (36-13, 19-5 WAC) matched its Division I-era record for regular-season victories and posted its best-ever WAC record.

The Lancers got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning, scoring two runs on two hits. After a scoreless second inning on both ends, the Lopes took the lead in the top of the third.

With one out, GCU senior left fielder Gianna Nicoletti reached on an error and moved to third after sophomore shortstop Katelyn Dunckel doubled to right field. The Lopes grabbed their first run when graduate first baseman Denae Chatman lined out to shortstop, but Nicoletti managed to tag and score. GCU junior catcher Kinsey Koeltzow cleared the bases with a double down the left field line for a 3-2 lead.

Lopes sophomore right hander Jacie Hambrick tossed a one-two-three inning in the bottom of the third to bring the Lopes back up to the plate.

Once again. Nicoletti reached base by drawing a one-out walk and stole second. Dunckel was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second for junior left fielder Kristin Fifield, who doubled to left center to score Nicoletti and put runners on second and third. The Lopes grabbed one more run on a Chatman single to right field, putting GCU ahead 5-2.

In the bottom of the fourth, Lopes junior right hander Ariel Thompson came in for relief and shut down the Lancers. GCU grabbed one more run in the fifth inning, when junior second baseman Macee Barnes drew a two-out walk and Nicoletti followed with a triple to center field, scoring Barnes.

Thompson tossed her second scoreless inning in the bottom of the fifth inning, bringing the Lopes back to the plate. In the top of the sixth, GCU managed to score two more runs and extend its lead to 8-2. Fifield hit a leadoff single to right field and score when Koeltzow followed with a double to left center. After Koeltzow went to third on the play at the plate, senior third baseman Savannah Tourville knocked her in on a sacrifice fly to left field.

The Lopes are back in action on Thursday at 8 a.m. (Phoenix time) when they play their first game of the WAC Tournament in Huntsville, Texas, with their opponent to be determined.