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, March 1
Phoenix, Ariz.
4:30 p.m.
Grand Canyon
12-4
15
vs
7
Toledo
5-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
R
H
E
Toledo
0
0
0
5
0
2
7
11
3
Grand Canyon
0
0
3
2
2
8
15
17
3
Photo by: Wesley Kurz
8-run innings highlight Friday sweep
3/1/2024 10:55:00 PM | Softball
GCU run-rules Toledo in 6, shuts out Montana in 5
Grand Canyon crowned its 13-4 season with back-to-back mercy-rule victories over Toledo and Montana, while recording a single-inning season high of eight runs in each game to dominate Friday's doubleheader at GCU Softball Stadium.
The Lopes defeated the Rockets 15-7, scoring a season-high 15 runs on a season-high 17 hits, while also setting a season high with three doubles.
Although Toledo made it a competitive game with a 5-3 lead in the fourth and a 7-7 tie in the sixth, GCU's offense hit the gas in the bottom of the sixth to score the Lopes for an eight-run inning that set a season high.Â
Freshman catcher Tinley Lucas led off the Lopes' final inning, boarding first base on a hit by pitch before advancing to third on a double by senior left fielder Kayla Rodgers. But it was junior third baseman Lovey Kepa'a who gave the Lopes their go-ahead run with a single to score Lucas and advance Rodgers. With freshman pinch runner Mackenzie Nolan and Rodgers at the corners, sophomore right fielder Brynn-Jordan Smythe singled to left center for her second RBI on the season.Â
With a two-run lead (9-7), two on and no outs, freshman second baseman Savannah Kirk loaded the bases on a bunt single before senior shortstop Katelyn Dunckel was hit by a pitch to bring GCU's 10th run across the plate.
Dunckel tied her career high with a four-hit game and set a new career high of four runs. Kirk and Smythe came home on a single through the right side by graduate center fielder Ashley Trierweiler. Graduate designated player Ramsay Lopez singled down the left-field line to advance Trierweiler and tally her second RBI on the night. Sophomore pinch runner Leinani Lutu replaced Lopez on the bases, and advanced to second when Toledo walked graduate first baseman Kristin Fifield.
Ahead 13-7, the Lopes picked up their final two runs on bases-loaded walks.
Nearly every Lope who made a plate appearance reached base. Trierweiler led GCU in hits (three) and tied Lopez in RBIs (three), as they combined for three singles, a double and a two-run home run.Â
GCU's engine remained in full throttle after a mere 30-minute reset between the conclusion of its previous victory against Toledo and a five-run, six-inning first inning of its game with Montana.Â
The Lopes' pitching was rock solid with the winning pitcher, junior Meghan Golden (3-1), in the circle for 4 1/3 innings and freshman pitcher Alina Satcher coming in for one inning. Golden struck out six batters, and the duo combined on a two-hitter with no walks.Â
GCU struck gold in the bottom of the fourth with another eight-run inning.
Dunckel doubled, advanced to third on Trierwieler's bunt single and scored on a Montana throwing error. Lopez cleared the bases with a two-run home run to left center for an 8-0 showing.
With the bases loaded and two outs, junior pinch hitter Alexis Soto walked to push the lead to 9-0. Nolan, pinch-hitting for Dunckel, then singled up the middle and advanced to second base on the throw for her first two-RBI game. The two-out rally continued with Trierweiler doubling to left center to send the final two Lopes across the plate for a 13-0 score.Â
The Lopes held the Grizzlies to just one hit in the top of the fifth to close out their fifth shutout of the season.Â
GCU continues the Purple Classic on Saturday with games against Pacific (4:30 p.m. Phoenix time), and New Mexico (7 p.m.) at GCU Softball Stadium.
Â
GCU run-rules Toledo with 8-run inning
GCU men's basketball may have celebrated the Lopes beloved mascot Thunder's birthday with a 72-43 home victory over UT Rio Grande Valley on Thursday night, but the party was far from over. The Lopes took their bats to a Friday night piñata against Toledo, steadily building seven runs through five innings before a burst of eight runs in the bottom of the sixth rained down at GCU Softball Stadium.ÂThe Lopes defeated the Rockets 15-7, scoring a season-high 15 runs on a season-high 17 hits, while also setting a season high with three doubles.
Although Toledo made it a competitive game with a 5-3 lead in the fourth and a 7-7 tie in the sixth, GCU's offense hit the gas in the bottom of the sixth to score the Lopes for an eight-run inning that set a season high.Â
Freshman catcher Tinley Lucas led off the Lopes' final inning, boarding first base on a hit by pitch before advancing to third on a double by senior left fielder Kayla Rodgers. But it was junior third baseman Lovey Kepa'a who gave the Lopes their go-ahead run with a single to score Lucas and advance Rodgers. With freshman pinch runner Mackenzie Nolan and Rodgers at the corners, sophomore right fielder Brynn-Jordan Smythe singled to left center for her second RBI on the season.Â
With a two-run lead (9-7), two on and no outs, freshman second baseman Savannah Kirk loaded the bases on a bunt single before senior shortstop Katelyn Dunckel was hit by a pitch to bring GCU's 10th run across the plate.
Dunckel tied her career high with a four-hit game and set a new career high of four runs. Kirk and Smythe came home on a single through the right side by graduate center fielder Ashley Trierweiler. Graduate designated player Ramsay Lopez singled down the left-field line to advance Trierweiler and tally her second RBI on the night. Sophomore pinch runner Leinani Lutu replaced Lopez on the bases, and advanced to second when Toledo walked graduate first baseman Kristin Fifield.
Ahead 13-7, the Lopes picked up their final two runs on bases-loaded walks.
Lope dominate Montana 13-0 in 5
The Lopes tallied 13 runs on 12 hits, scoring eight runs in a single inning for a second consecutive game. GCU picked up their fifth shutout of the season by blanking Montana 13-0, the Lopes'Â largest margin of victory since a 21-3 win against New Mexico State on March 19, 2022.ÂNearly every Lope who made a plate appearance reached base. Trierweiler led GCU in hits (three) and tied Lopez in RBIs (three), as they combined for three singles, a double and a two-run home run.Â
GCU's engine remained in full throttle after a mere 30-minute reset between the conclusion of its previous victory against Toledo and a five-run, six-inning first inning of its game with Montana.Â
The Lopes' pitching was rock solid with the winning pitcher, junior Meghan Golden (3-1), in the circle for 4 1/3 innings and freshman pitcher Alina Satcher coming in for one inning. Golden struck out six batters, and the duo combined on a two-hitter with no walks.Â
GCU struck gold in the bottom of the fourth with another eight-run inning.
Dunckel doubled, advanced to third on Trierwieler's bunt single and scored on a Montana throwing error. Lopez cleared the bases with a two-run home run to left center for an 8-0 showing.
With the bases loaded and two outs, junior pinch hitter Alexis Soto walked to push the lead to 9-0. Nolan, pinch-hitting for Dunckel, then singled up the middle and advanced to second base on the throw for her first two-RBI game. The two-out rally continued with Trierweiler doubling to left center to send the final two Lopes across the plate for a 13-0 score.Â
The Lopes held the Grizzlies to just one hit in the top of the fifth to close out their fifth shutout of the season.Â
GCU continues the Purple Classic on Saturday with games against Pacific (4:30 p.m. Phoenix time), and New Mexico (7 p.m.) at GCU Softball Stadium.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Darwin, Emily (3-0)
L: GRAHAM, Kylee (0-0)
Batting:
2B: ECKMAN, Lexi 1 ; TIPPLE, Leah 1
HR: MOHR, Riley 1
RBI: ECKMAN, Lexi 2 ; MOHR, Riley 2
SH: VANDER LUGT, Kendra 1
Base Running:
RUNS: ERICKSON, Lauren 1 ; MOHR, Riley 1 ; VANDER LUGT, Kendra 1 ; SJOHOLM, Reis 1 ; MIKULSKI, Madison 1 ; GRIFFITH, Sidney 2
SB: ENRIUEZ, Eli 1 ; ECKMAN, Lexi 1
HBP: KROLL, Jenna 1 ; MOHR, Riley 1
Batting:
2B: Trierweiler, Ashley 1 ; Fifield, Kristin 1 ; Rodgers, Kayla 1
RBI: Dunckel, Katelyn 2 ; Trierweiler, Ashley 3 ; Lopez, Ramsay 2 ; Fifield, Kristin 2 ; Payne, Mikaela 1 ; Rodgers, Kayla 2 ; Kepa’a, Lovey 2 ; Smythe, Brynn-Jordan 1
SH: Kepa’a, Lovey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dunckel, Katelyn 4 ; Trierweiler, Ashley 3 ; Lutu, Leinani 1 ; Fifield, Kristin 1 ; Lucas, Tinley 1 ; Rodgers, Kayla 1 ; Nolan, Mackenzie 1 ; Smythe, Brynn-Jordan 2 ; Kirk, Savannah 1
SB: Dunckel, Katelyn 1 ; Fifield, Kristin 1 ; Smythe, Brynn-Jordan 1
HBP: Dunckel, Katelyn 1 ; Lucas, Tinley 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
4
H
4
RBI
2
AB
5
R
3
H
3
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
dp/ph
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballOF
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