3rd doubleheader sweep comes against CBU

Tuesday, March 26

Phoenix, Ariz.

4:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

26-8, 5-2

California Baptist

17-17, 4-2

California Baptist

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Wesley Kurz

3/26/2024 10:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Lopes take WAC lead from Lancers with 2 home blowouts

By: Adrianna Candelaria

Grand Canyon blew out California Baptist twice Tuesday to sweep its third consecutive WAC doubleheader and move into first place in the conference.

Lopes senior shortstop Katelyn Dunckel went 4 for 7 with two home runs in the wins, while CBU was limited to one run in two games with outstanding GCU starting pitching from junior Meghan Golden and senior Hailey Hudson.

GCU records 8th shutout of season

The Lopes shut out the Lancers 7-0 in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader at GCU Softball Stadium.

Golden, the WAC Co-Preseason Pitcher of the Year, improved to 7-2 after pitching her second complete-game shutout with a season-high 10 strikeouts. The Peoria, Arizona, native faced 25 Lancers and only allowed three hits.

Although GCU scored seven runs on seven hits, three Lopes runs stemmed from one sacrifice fly and two fielder's choices.

With the bases loaded by graduate first baseman Ashley Trierweiler (fielder's choice), graduate right fielder Kristin Fifield (error) and graduate designated player Ramsay Lopez (walk) in the bottom of the first, the Lopes scored one run on no hits when senior left fielder Kayla Rodgers reached on a fielder's choice to send Trierweiler home for an early 1-0 lead.

Continuing to hold California Baptist hitless and scoreless through the fourth, Lopez and Dunckel respectively notched two-run home runs in the third and fourth innings for a commanding 5-0 lead, ahead of a Trierweiler RBI fielder's choice and a Lopez RBI sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.

Dark clouds and sudden high winds, with gusts up to 40 mph, disrupted the flow of the sixth inning, suspending play for approximately 20 minutes when the stadium lights went dark.

Lopes sweep doubleheader with 2nd rout

GCU scored eight runs on 10 hits, and managed to hold California Baptist to one run on eight hits in Tuesday's nightcap.

Leading off with a 1-0 pitch count, Dunckel swung for her second home run, and fourth hit, of the night to start the Lopes off with a 1-0 lead. Trierweiler and Fifield, who respectively reached on a walk and a single up the middle, stole second and third, and came home on a double to center field by junior center fielder Makaiya Gomez for a 3-0 score.

Lopez increased the Lopes lead to 4-0 with a sacrifice fly to center field in the bottom of the second, before the Lopes forced the CBU lineup down in order through the fourth, and only allowed one run in the top of the fifth.

With the bases loaded by walks and two outs in the bottom of the fifth, GCU scored its fifth run when sophomore pinch hitter Brynn-Jordan Smythe was hit by pitch.

Holding the Lancers to three at bats for the seventh half-inning of the night, the Lopes capitalized on their dominance with a a leadoff bunt by Trierweiler, a two-run home run by Fifield, a Rodgers double and an RBI double for freshman second baseman Savannah Groshong-Kirk to make it an 8-1 ball game.

Hudson earned her seventh win of the season in the circle, pitching 5 2/3 innings with three strikeouts.

GCU continues the WAC season in St. George, Utah, where they will play a Friday night doubleheader and a Saturday afternoon series finale against third-place Utah Tech (11-18, 4-2 WAC).