Hays hits GCU milestone in Saturday sweep

Saturday, March 2

Phoenix, Ariz.

4:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

14-4

Pacific

4-13

Pacific

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Sebastian Molinar

3/2/2024 10:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Lopes defeat Pacific, New Mexico for 4-0 weekend record

By: Adrianna Candelaria

In a fourth consecutive Saturday night sweep, Grand Canyon head coach Shanon Hays recorded his 100th and 101st wins Saturday night at GCU in less than three seasons. The 9-1 victory against Pacific and a 5-2 win against New Mexico pushed Hays' 15-year career total to 569 wins.

GCU takes Pacific in 5

The Lopes notched their third consecutive run-rule win, and their fourth five-inning game of the season with a 9-1 victory over Pacific at GCU Softball Stadium.

GCU kicked off the evening with its best start to a game of the season when it posted six runs on four hits and one error in the first inning.

Senior shortstop Katelyn Dunckel led by of being hit by a pitch and scored the Lopes' first run when graduate first baseman Ashley Trierweiler reached on error, advanced to second and went to third on a throw.

GCU graduate third baseman Kristin Fifiled then brought Trierweiler in on her home run to right field. Graduate designated player Ramsay Lopez followed with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Haley Wolsk, who scored when junior center fielder Makaiya Gomez flew around the bases on a triple for her eighth RBI of the season and the Lopes' fourth run of the game.

Gomez and sophomore right fielder Brynn-Jordan Smythe scored the fifth and sixth runs on a Smythe double and a single to left field by senior catcher Mikaela Payne.

With junior pitcher Emily Darwin in the circle to start the second inning, the Tigers managed to collect two hits for one run. Graduate pitcher Hailey Hudson (2-3) picked up the win and combined with Darwin and graduate Megan Schumacher on a seven-hitter with five strikeouts and no walks.

In the bottom of the third, Dunckel hit a two-out single up the middle. Trierweiler was hit by a pitch, settin gup Fifield to notch two additional RBIs with a triple. Lopez singled through the right side to give the Lopes a 9-1 lead through three innings.

Lopes defeat New Mexico to go 4-0 on weekend

GCU hit .320 to outscore New Mexico 5-2 in the Saturday nightcap.

Dunckel led the Lopes with two of their eight hits, while Fifield (playing third base) and Lopez controlled GCU's offense with two RBIs each.

After holding the Lobos off the scoreboard, the Lopes took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the inning when Trierweiler hit a triple to right center and scored on Fifield's 21st RBI of the season.

Tied in the third at 1-1, GCU answered with two runs on three hits as freshman second baseman Mackenzie Nolan singled through the right side. Dunckel doubled to left center, and Trierweiler sent a sacrifice fly to left field before Fifield doubled to left field.

The Lobos tightened the Lopes lead to 3-2, but GCU looked for insurance runs in the bottom half of the frame. Dunckel led off with a double before two out set up Lopez, who smashed a 3-1 pitch over the center-field wall for a 5-2 advantage.

Graduate pitcher Ariel Thompson pitched the final five innings to earn a win that moved her to 4-0 this season. She sent the Lobos down in order in the top of the sixth with two strikeouts and a fly out. She also made quick work of New Mexico to close the seventh.

GCU caps the weekend with a final game against Toledo at 11:30 a.m. (Phoenix time) on Sunday in GCU Softball Stadium.