Lopes sweep Ladyjacks with pair of shutouts

Friday, April 26

Nacogdoches, Texas

1 p.m.

Grand Canyon

40-10, 18-3

Stephen F. Austin

15-35, 8-13

Grand Canyon

Stephen F. Austin

Photo by: Adrianna Candelaria

4/26/2024 5:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Hudson. Golden pick up complete-game victories

By: Adrianna Candelaria

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Grand Canyon remained atop the WAC standings after a Friday doubleheader sweep and conference series clinch at Stephen F. Austin. The Lopes have recorded consecutive 40-win seasons, the first ones of the GCU Division I era.

Lopes defeat Ladyjacks in 9-inning shutout

GCU overtook SFA 1-0 in extra innings after outhitting the Ladyjacks 6-3 in the first game Friday.

Lopes senior pitcher Hailey Hudson threw her third complete-game shutout of the season and earned her 13th win with six strikeouts and three walks. Hudson and the GCU defense forced the SFA lineup down in order in five of the nine innings.

Meanwhile, freshman second baseman Savannah Groshong-Kirk led the Lopes with two hits, including the game-winning RBI single with two outs in the ninth frame.

With one out in the top of the ninth inning, senior left fielder Kayla Rodgers singled up the middle and stole second base, setting up Kirk to hit to shortstop. Kirk beat out the infield single and drew a throw that made the first baseman go to the ground. Rodgers alertly headed home and beat a throw with a head-first slide for a 1-0 lead.

Hudson retired the Ladyjacks in order in the bottom of the ninth, finishing her career-long outing with 125 pitches to give GCU its second consecutive 40-win season.

GCU sweeps SFA with two consecutive shutouts

The Lopes (41-10, 19-3 WAC) tallied their 12th shutout victory of the season and eighth straight conference series win in the Friday nightcap at SFA Softball Field.

Graduate designated player Ramsay Lopez now leads the Lopes with 53 RBIs on the season after smashing a three-run home run in the top of the fifth inning for a 4-0 Lopes lead. It was Lopez's 13th home run of the season and 68th of her career, tying her for fourth nationally in career home runs among active Division I players.

GCU previously put a run on the board in the top of the second, when Rodgers tripled and came home on a single to left field by junior center fielder Makaiya Gomez.

Gomez led the Lopes offensively with three hits to raise her season batting average to .352.

GCU scored its final run in the seventh inning on a Rodgers RBI, her 34th of the season. Rodgers went 3 for 8 in the doubleheader, hitting in each game to extend her hitting streak to 12 games.

The Lopes and the Ladyjacks finish the three-game WAC series on Saturday at 10 a.m. (Phoenix time). GCU now holds a four-game lead in the WAC over second-place California Baptist with four remaining conference games apiece.