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, April 5
Phoenix, Ariz.
4:30 p.m.
Grand Canyon
31-8, 10-2
9
vs
1
UT Arlington
14-22, 5-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
R
H
E
UT Arlington
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
3
1
Grand Canyon
2
1
3
1
1
1
9
14
0
Photo by: Jack Gilday
Hot offense dominates UTA doubleheader
4/5/2024 10:28:00 PM | Softball
Lopes hold Mavericks to 1 run in 6th, 7th consecutive wins
Grand Canyon continued its doubleheader sweep streak with a Friday night hitting clinic, scoring in all 11 innings of two games for 9-1 and 9-0 run-rule wins against UT Arlington at GCU Softball Stadium. The Lopes improved to 32-8 with a WAC-leading record of 11-2.Â
Gomez went 4 for 4, hitting a single and three doubles with her first RBI become the Lopes' final one of the game.
GCU junior pitcher Meghan Golden was solid in the circle, retiring the UTA lineup in order for three innings, and not allowing any Mavericks on base by walk. The WAC Preseason Co-Pitcher of the Year picked up her ninth win of the season with eight strikeouts.Â
Graduate first baseman Ashley Trierweiler led off the bottom of the first with a double to center field and posted GCU's first run when she stole third and ran home on an error by the Mavericks' third baseman. That came ahead of a solo home run by graduate right fielder Kristin Fifield for her ninth this season.Â
The Lopes went up 3-0 in the bottom of the second on a Trierweiler RBI single, before UT Arlington notched a home run in the top of the third for a 3-1 score.Â
But GCU stayed hot, scoring three in the third, starting with an RBI single up the middle by freshman second baseman Savannah Kirk to lengthen her season-high hitting streak to seven consecutive games. Two respective fielder's-choice RBIs for junior pinch hitter Kaitlyn Brannstrom and junior third baseman Lovey Kepa'a made GCU's lead 6-1.Â
Holding UTA to two hits through the remaining three innings, the Lopes posted an additional run each frame. Gomez, who reached on a double in the bottom of the fourth, scored when senior left fielder Kayla Rodgers singled up the middle, followed by a Trierweiler RBI double to left center in the fifth, and Gomez's walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the sixth.
The Lopes have won by run rule in four WAC matchups and nine total games this season.Â
The Lopes scored six runs in the first inning, starting with Dunckel's leadoff walk, a Trierweiler single and Fifield's walk to load the bases. That fueled Gomez for a three-RBI single that led to her reaching third base.
Rodgers then reached on a fielder's choice, sending Gomez home, and was ultimately batted in on a Brannstrom single to center field after Kirk singled to the pitcher. A sacrifice fly by sophomore pinch hitter Brynn-Jordan Smythe advanced Kirk to third, and allowed to Kirk to score when the ball was thrown down to second base in an attempt to catch senior catcher Mikaela Payne stealing.Â
Fifield notched her fifth home run of the WAC season and second of the doubleheader in the bottom of the second for the Lopes seventh run on the night.
With Payne on by walk, Kepa'a sent an RBI triple to right field in the bottom of the third for an 8-0 lead, before Kirk posted an insurance RBI double in the fourth.Â
Graduate pitcher Megan Schumacher followed senior starter Hailey Hudson in the circle for the final half-inning of game, sending the last three Mavericks down in order. Hudson, now 9-4 this season, threw five strikeouts, including a high-pressure, bases-loaded second inning to protect the shutout.Â
GCU hosts Oregon on Wednesday at 6 p.m. (Phoenix time) before heading to Tarleton State for a three-game WAC series on April 12-13.Â
Â
Gomez walks off 9-1 winÂ
GCU hit .483 in the opening game, finishing UT Arlington with a sixth-inning walk-off double by junior center fielder Makiaya Gomez for a 9-1, run-rule final. The Lopes held the Mavericks to .143 batting with three hits, while tallying 14 hits.Gomez went 4 for 4, hitting a single and three doubles with her first RBI become the Lopes' final one of the game.
GCU junior pitcher Meghan Golden was solid in the circle, retiring the UTA lineup in order for three innings, and not allowing any Mavericks on base by walk. The WAC Preseason Co-Pitcher of the Year picked up her ninth win of the season with eight strikeouts.Â
Graduate first baseman Ashley Trierweiler led off the bottom of the first with a double to center field and posted GCU's first run when she stole third and ran home on an error by the Mavericks' third baseman. That came ahead of a solo home run by graduate right fielder Kristin Fifield for her ninth this season.Â
The Lopes went up 3-0 in the bottom of the second on a Trierweiler RBI single, before UT Arlington notched a home run in the top of the third for a 3-1 score.Â
But GCU stayed hot, scoring three in the third, starting with an RBI single up the middle by freshman second baseman Savannah Kirk to lengthen her season-high hitting streak to seven consecutive games. Two respective fielder's-choice RBIs for junior pinch hitter Kaitlyn Brannstrom and junior third baseman Lovey Kepa'a made GCU's lead 6-1.Â
Holding UTA to two hits through the remaining three innings, the Lopes posted an additional run each frame. Gomez, who reached on a double in the bottom of the fourth, scored when senior left fielder Kayla Rodgers singled up the middle, followed by a Trierweiler RBI double to left center in the fifth, and Gomez's walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the sixth.
The Lopes have won by run rule in four WAC matchups and nine total games this season.Â
Lopes shut Mavericks out in 5
GCU had a lead foot tonight, speeding through both games in under two hours and less than seven innings. The Lopes recorded their ninth shutout of the season in the Friday nightcap with another nine-run performance.ÂThe Lopes scored six runs in the first inning, starting with Dunckel's leadoff walk, a Trierweiler single and Fifield's walk to load the bases. That fueled Gomez for a three-RBI single that led to her reaching third base.
Rodgers then reached on a fielder's choice, sending Gomez home, and was ultimately batted in on a Brannstrom single to center field after Kirk singled to the pitcher. A sacrifice fly by sophomore pinch hitter Brynn-Jordan Smythe advanced Kirk to third, and allowed to Kirk to score when the ball was thrown down to second base in an attempt to catch senior catcher Mikaela Payne stealing.Â
Fifield notched her fifth home run of the WAC season and second of the doubleheader in the bottom of the second for the Lopes seventh run on the night.
With Payne on by walk, Kepa'a sent an RBI triple to right field in the bottom of the third for an 8-0 lead, before Kirk posted an insurance RBI double in the fourth.Â
Graduate pitcher Megan Schumacher followed senior starter Hailey Hudson in the circle for the final half-inning of game, sending the last three Mavericks down in order. Hudson, now 9-4 this season, threw five strikeouts, including a high-pressure, bases-loaded second inning to protect the shutout.Â
GCU hosts Oregon on Wednesday at 6 p.m. (Phoenix time) before heading to Tarleton State for a three-game WAC series on April 12-13.Â
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Golden, Meghan (9-2)
L: Bumpurs, Gracie (1-7)
Batting:
2B: Castruita, Zaia 1
HR: Hampton, Alaina 1
RBI: Hampton, Alaina 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hampton, Alaina 1
Batting:
2B: Trierweiler, Ashley 2 ; Lopez, Ramsay 1 ; Gomez, Makaiya 3
HR: Fifield, Kristin 1
RBI: Trierweiler, Ashley 2 ; Fifield, Kristin 1 ; Gomez, Makaiya 1 ; Rodgers, Kayla 1 ; Kirk, Savannah 1 ; Brannstrom, Kaitlyn 1 ; Kepa’a, Lovey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dunckel, Katelyn 2 ; Trierweiler, Ashley 1 ; Fifield, Kristin 1 ; Wolsky, Haley 1 ; Nolan, Mackenzie 1 ; Gomez, Makaiya 2 ; Rodgers, Kayla 1
SB: Dunckel, Katelyn 2 ; Trierweiler, Ashley 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
4
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballNew Hardware Install | Softball
Friday, August 08
Alexis Soto | on her Christian Faith
Monday, July 07
Briah Williams | Christian Faith
Monday, July 07
Alexis Soto | Ephesians 3:20
Monday, July 07