Friday split brings Saturday rubber match

Friday, March 31

Las Cruces, N.M.

3 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

28-6, 0

New Mexico State

14-14, 0

GCU

NM State

Photo by: Adrianna Candelaria

3/31/2023 10:43:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

GCU goes 1-1 against NMSU in Las Cruces

By: Adrianna Candelaria

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Grand Canyon softball split its third WAC-opening pair in three tries this season with a 1-1 Friday start to its weekend WAC series at New Mexico State.

GCU takes Game 2 with 6-run 4th inning

Despite scoring in only two innings and being outhit 11-9 by NMSU, GCU made every at bat count, including back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning, for an 8-5 victory in the second game of Friday's doubleheader.

After a scoreless first two innings, New Mexico State put a run on the board in the bottom of the third, but was answered with the Lopes' best fourth inning of the season. GCU cranked out six runs, starting wtih a leadoff double by junior Katelyn Dunkel before the big hits came on a two-run home run by senior third baseman Madison Schaefer and a two-run, two-out triple by senior right fielder Kristin Fifield. It marked Schaefer's fifth home run of the season and took Fifield's season RBI total to 54.

However, the Aggies closed in on the Lopes, quickly thinning the five-run lead to only one, with two scored in the bottom of the fourth, and two additional unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth, respectively.

But back-to-back solo home runs by Dunckel and senior designated player Ramsay Lopez on consecutive pitches in the top of the seventh gave the Lopes the insurance they needed to take the win. It was Lopez's 10th home run of the season.

Early lead slips away in 5-4 loss

With no errors and eight hits from both dugouts, it was anyone's game to start the doubleheader at New Mexico State Softball Complex on Friday evening.

Dropping three runs in the first inning, gave the Lopes an early lead over the Aggies, as Lopez posted an RBI single through the left side, and senior second baseman Macee Barnes sent a two-run homer over the left-field fence.

But the Aggies slowly built momentum, tying in the bottom of the fourth and ultimately overtaking the Lopes in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run and RBI single for a 5-3 lead.

Barnes, the only Lope with multiple hits (two) and RBIs (three) in the first game, singled up the middle for another GCU run, but the Lopes call to action fell short at 5-4 when they came out of the seventh inning empty-handed despite loading the bases with one out.

GCU will face New Mexico State in a Saturday rubber match at 1 p.m. (Phoenix time).