Softball splits 1st day of Littlewood Classic

Friday, February 16

Phoenix, Ariz.

4 p.m.

Grand Canyon

5-1

Memphis

0-6

Memphis

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Wesley Kurz

2/16/2024 10:30:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

GCU shuts out Memphis, but comeback vs. Cal falls short

By: Adrianna Candelaria

Grand Canyon split the opening day of the Littlewood Classic, shutting out Memphis 7-0 but falling 7-4 in the California nightcap on Friday to become 5-2 on the season.

Lopes notch 1st shutout of the season

GCU scores seven runs on 11 hits against Memphis in its first shutout of the season on Friday evening at GCU Softball Stadium.

Graduate pitcher Ariel Thompson threw the Lopes' first complete game this season, allowing only five hits and one walk to become 2-0. She has pitched 15 innings and leads the Lopes with an ERA of 0.47 this season.

The Lopes hit .440 off Memphis freshman pitcher Taniyah Brown, with seven of the nine Lopes starters recording at least one hit. Graduates Ramsay Lopez (designated player), Kristin Fifield (first baseman) and Ashley Trierweiler (center fielder) each posted multi-hit games giving Fifield her fourth game with two hits this season and extending Trierweiler's hitting streak to six games.

Thompson tallied two of her five strikeouts in the top of the first before the bottom half saw GCU senior shortstop Katelyn Dunckel walk, Trierweiler single to center field and Lopez record her first hit of the season. Lopez's first hit soon turned into three, leading the Lopes with two RBIs on the night. Her single to right center sent Fifield and Dunckel home to put GCU on the board.

Senior Kayla Rodgers walked as well, advancing Lopez to second base, where freshman pinch runner Haley Wolsky replaced her. Rodgers and Wolsky advanced on a wild pitch that sent Wolsky sprinting and ultimately sliding into home for GCU's third run.

In the bottom of the second, sophomore right fielder Brynn-Jordan Smythe reached on a fielder's choice and stole second ahead of Trierweiler's single to shortstop. The pair stole bases before Smythe scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman second baseman Savannah Kirk to add the fourth Lopes run.

The Lopes offense quieted until the sixth inning, when junior third baseman Lovey Kepa'a singled through the left side, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Smythe and scored on a Trierweiler single up the middle. Trierweiler stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and eventually stole home for her third stolen base of the night.

GCU stole a season high of seven bases against Memphis, led by Trierweiler (three) and Smythe (two). Meanwhile, Kirk reached on a base hit to third, stole second, advanced to third on a Dunckel double and came home on sacrifice fly by Fifield for the seventh and final run.

Comeback against Cal falls short

Despite dwindling a 5-0 California lead to a 5-4 pressure cooker in the span of a half-inning, California had a few more late tricks up its sleeve to seal a 7-4 win against the Lopes.

GCU was in an early hole after a sequence of home runs quickly accumulated a 4-0 Cal advantage.

But Dunckel and Fifield, recording her second game with multiple RBIs and fifth game with two hits, played their veteran cards in the bottom of the fifth, each recording two RBI with two outs to bring the Lopes within striking distance of the Golden Bears. Junior pinch hitter Mikaiya Gomez reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on a Smythe single, and touched third on a single by Trierweiler.

With the bases loaded and two outs, California switched pitcher Annabel Teperson for starter Randi Roelling, allowing Dunckel to reach second base on a single with an attempted throw to send Smythe and Gomez home. a Fifield double down the first-base line scored Trierweiler and Dunckel. To prevent any futther damage, Cal re-entered Roelling in the circle.

Unfortunately for the Lopes, Cal responded in the sixth with four hits, resulting in two runs to reclaim more dominant footing with a 7-4 lead. Although GCU managed to hold the Golden Bears in the seventh, the Lopes bats fell silent as well.

GCU rotated between pitchers Hailey Hudson (senior), Megan Schumacher (graduate), Emily Darwin (junior) and ultimately closed with Hudson, who collectively allowed 11 hits with seven strikeouts and five walks.

The Lopes resume competition on Saturday versus No. 17 Virginia Tech (4 p.m.) and Illinois State (6:30 p.m.) at GCU Softball Stadium.