Upcoming Event: Softball versus Pima CC on September 30, 2025 at 6 p.m.
Softball
6 p.m.
vs Pima CC
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, May 6
Riverside, Calif.
4 p.m.
Grand Canyon
35-12, 18-4
7
at
2
California Baptist
29-25, 11-11
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Grand Canyon
2
0
0
0
4
0
1
7
13
0
California Baptist
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
2
7
3
Lopes split in Riverside
5/6/2022 10:52:00 PM | Softball
Nicoletti's 47th stolen base breaks 25-year-old WAC record
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Grand Canyon softball team opened their final WAC regular-season series with a Friday doubleheader split at California Baptist, winning Game 1 after taking a lead in the first inning and grabbing four more in the fifth and having a late rally coming up short in Game 2 against the Lancers.
"For the most part, we played well today," Lopes head coach Shanon Hays said. "We left way too many runners on the first game. The second game, we really hit the ball hard. We just hit it right at them and they made the plays. We had one bad inning in each game, and it got us beat the second game. Ariel (Thompson) and Kaila (Eastburn) had solid starts and Ryan (Denhart) came in and threw well.
"It was cool Gianna (Nicoletti) break the WAC stolen base record. And Kristin (Fifield) breaking the home run record the same day was awesome as well. They both did it in just 48 games, which makes it that more impressive."
The Lopes struck first as Nicoletti, the senior left fielder, started the game with a single up the middle. Nicoletti was called for leaving early, putting one out on the board for sophomore shortstop Katelyn Dunckel. Dunckel followed with a single to left field. Fifield, a junior right fielder, collected her 14th home run of the season to become the Lopes single-season record holder and give the Lopes a 2-0 lead after the first inning.
The Lopes and Lancers were scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning, when CBU tied the game up at 2-2. GCU responded in the top of the fifth inning, when graduate first baseman Denae Chatman opened with a walk and was pinch-ran for by freshman Emma Villaescusa. Junior catcher Kinsey Koeltzow followed with a bunt single, putting runners on the corners with no outs. A single to center field by senior third baseman Savannah Tourville retook the Lopes lead. With bases loaded and two outs, Nicoletti singled through the left side. Dunckel followed with a single up the middle, picking up two RBIs for a 6-2 GCU lead.
Thompson, the junior pitcher, kept the Lancers off the board in the fifth and sixth innings, bringing the Lopes back up the plate. GCU added one more run in the top of the seventh inning, as Nicoletti collected her fourth hit of the game with a bunt single. Nicoletti stole her 46th base of the season to tie the WAC single-season stolen base record and put herself into scoring position. A bunt single by Dunckel moved Nicoletti to third and allowed her to score on a sacrifice fly to right field by Fifield.
Thompson closed out the seventh with a perfect inning to earn her 18th win of the season.
GCU drops Game 2, Nicoletti sets WAC record
The Lancers blanked the Lopes in the first inning of play and were able to get two runs to take the lead in Game 2 at CBU.
GCU sophomore right-hander Kaila Eastburn settled in after the first inning and tossed three scoreless innings before the Lancers managed to grab one more run in the bottom of the fifth inning for a 3-0 lead.
The Lopes put up a fight in the top of the sixth inning, as Nicoletti led off with a single to right field. Dunckel followed with an infield single to put runners on first and second. Nicoletti took third for her 47th stolen base of the season and claimed the WAC single-season record, a 25-year-old record. With runners on second and third, Fifield hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Nicoletti and cut the deficit to 3-1. GCU still had a one-out, one-on threat but did not score again.
The Lopes are back in action on Saturday as they take on CBU in the rubber match at 5 p.m. (Phoenix time).
"For the most part, we played well today," Lopes head coach Shanon Hays said. "We left way too many runners on the first game. The second game, we really hit the ball hard. We just hit it right at them and they made the plays. We had one bad inning in each game, and it got us beat the second game. Ariel (Thompson) and Kaila (Eastburn) had solid starts and Ryan (Denhart) came in and threw well.
"It was cool Gianna (Nicoletti) break the WAC stolen base record. And Kristin (Fifield) breaking the home run record the same day was awesome as well. They both did it in just 48 games, which makes it that more impressive."
The Lopes struck first as Nicoletti, the senior left fielder, started the game with a single up the middle. Nicoletti was called for leaving early, putting one out on the board for sophomore shortstop Katelyn Dunckel. Dunckel followed with a single to left field. Fifield, a junior right fielder, collected her 14th home run of the season to become the Lopes single-season record holder and give the Lopes a 2-0 lead after the first inning.
The Lopes and Lancers were scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning, when CBU tied the game up at 2-2. GCU responded in the top of the fifth inning, when graduate first baseman Denae Chatman opened with a walk and was pinch-ran for by freshman Emma Villaescusa. Junior catcher Kinsey Koeltzow followed with a bunt single, putting runners on the corners with no outs. A single to center field by senior third baseman Savannah Tourville retook the Lopes lead. With bases loaded and two outs, Nicoletti singled through the left side. Dunckel followed with a single up the middle, picking up two RBIs for a 6-2 GCU lead.
Thompson, the junior pitcher, kept the Lancers off the board in the fifth and sixth innings, bringing the Lopes back up the plate. GCU added one more run in the top of the seventh inning, as Nicoletti collected her fourth hit of the game with a bunt single. Nicoletti stole her 46th base of the season to tie the WAC single-season stolen base record and put herself into scoring position. A bunt single by Dunckel moved Nicoletti to third and allowed her to score on a sacrifice fly to right field by Fifield.
Thompson closed out the seventh with a perfect inning to earn her 18th win of the season.
GCU drops Game 2, Nicoletti sets WAC record
The Lancers blanked the Lopes in the first inning of play and were able to get two runs to take the lead in Game 2 at CBU.
GCU sophomore right-hander Kaila Eastburn settled in after the first inning and tossed three scoreless innings before the Lancers managed to grab one more run in the bottom of the fifth inning for a 3-0 lead.
The Lopes put up a fight in the top of the sixth inning, as Nicoletti led off with a single to right field. Dunckel followed with an infield single to put runners on first and second. Nicoletti took third for her 47th stolen base of the season and claimed the WAC single-season record, a 25-year-old record. With runners on second and third, Fifield hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Nicoletti and cut the deficit to 3-1. GCU still had a one-out, one-on threat but did not score again.
The Lopes are back in action on Saturday as they take on CBU in the rubber match at 5 p.m. (Phoenix time).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Thompson, Ariel (18-4)
L: Castaneda, J (12-10)
Batting:
HR: Fifield, Kristin 1
RBI: Nicoletti, Gianna 1 ; Dunckel, Katelyn 2 ; Fifield, Kristin 3 ; Tourville, Savannah 1
SH: Burnett, Hannah 1
SF: Fifield, Kristin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nicoletti, Gianna 1 ; Dunckel, Katelyn 1 ; Fifield, Kristin 1 ; Villaescusa, Emma 1 ; Koeltzow, Kinsey 1 ; Tourville, Savannah 1 ; Barnes, Macee 1
SB: Nicoletti, Gianna 2 ; Burnett, Hannah 1
HBP: Dunckel, Katelyn 1 ; Tourville, Savannah 1 ; Reed, Stephanie 1
Batting:
2B: Argomaniz,Am 1 ; Kolander, M 1
RBI: Argomaniz,Am 1 ; Olsen, M 1
SH: Soto, S 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Harrington,M 1 ; Orme, S 1
HBP: Stark, N 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
4
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P/UTL
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UTL
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