Win against Fullerton finishes 4-1 weekend

Sunday, February 18

Phoenix, Ariz.

11:30 a.m.

Grand Canyon

8-2

Cal State Fullerton

6-3

Cal State Fullerton

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Nate Cochran

2/18/2024 12:14:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Lopes beat Titans 3-1 on Sunday in Thompson's 3rd victory

By: Adrianna Candelaria

Grand Canyon improved to 8-2 after the second weekend of the season with a 3-1 home victory against Cal State Fullerton in the Littlewood Classic's Sunday finale.

The Lopes made quick work of the Titans offense, only allowing three hits and four runners on base. GCU freshman second baseman Savannah Kirk made several veteran-like plays resulting in six putouts and two assists, second only to graduate first baseman Kristin Fifield with seven putouts.

GCU got off to a slow start at the plate, but it got the bats going in the third inning with its first hit by junior right fielder Makaiya Gomez. She stole second base and moved to third on a single down the left-field line by junior third baseman Lovey Kepa'a. A fielder's choice for graduate center fielder Ashley Trierweiler resulted in a pickoff of freshman pinch runner Haley Wolsky, going from second to third, and allowed Trierweiler to sneak to second base. The Lopes loaded the bases with two outs after senior shortstop Katelyn Dunckel was hit by pitch, but they were stranded.

GCU graduate designated player Ramsay Lopez led off the bottom of the fourth and was pinch run for by freshman Mackenzie Nolan. A fielder's choice for freshman catcher Tinley Lucas put multiple Lopes back on the base paths with no outs, but they were once again left behind.

The Lopes' persistence paid off in the bottom of the fifth with a bunt single by Kirk and successive singles up the middle by Dunckel and Fifield, the latter advancing Kirk across the plate. Fifield, last season's national RBIs champion, recorded her 200th career RBI and has totaled 15 RBIs on 13 hits in 10 games this season.

After Fullerton tied the game at 1-1, GCU senior left fielder Kayla Rodgers led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a single to left field and was replaced on the bases by the speedy sophomore Brynn-Jordan Smythe, who quickly stole second base and scored on Kepa'a's second single of the day. Trierweiler then slapped a single to left field to send Kepa'a to second, before senior pinch hitter Mikaela Payne recorded her first RBI single of the season for the 3-1 final.

Winning pitcher Ariel Thompson, a graduate, improved to 3-0 on the season while graduate pitcher Megan Schumacher recorded her first save of the year.

GCU will co-host the GCU/ASU Classic next weekend, starting Friday with partipants New Mexico State, Idaho State, Seton Hall, Ohio State and Texas State.