Championship bound: GCU seeks WAC tourney 3-peat

Friday, May 10

Seattle, Wash.

1 P.M.

Grand Canyon

47-11

Utah Valley

25-27

Grand Canyon

Utah Valley

5/10/2024 4:14:00 PM | Softball

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Golden no-hits UVU in semifinal for 6 innings; Lopes face CBU on Saturday

By: Adrianna Candelaria

SEATTLE — Grand Canyon advanced to the WAC Tournament championship round for an opportunity to win its third consecutive conference tourney championship after shutting out Utah Valley 4-0 in a Friday semifinal game.

GCU junior pitcher Meghan Golden ended the Wolverines' seven-game winning streak with her fifth shutout and seventh complete game of the season, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning and getting two of her five strikeouts in the final inning.

The Lopes (47-11) tied the program record for victories in a season, set last season by the 47-13 team that reached an NCAA regional. They can set the mark Saturday when they play No. 2 seed California Baptist (32-24) in a 1 p.m. game. A GCU win would earn its third consecutive tournament title. A CBU win would set up a rematch 45 minutes later for the championship of the double-elimination tournament.

GCU developed an electric, four-run fourth inning on five hits with graduate right fielder Kristin Fifield pulling a leadoff home run to right field on an 0-2 pitch. The Lopes' all-time career home run record holder sent her 13th homer of the year and 57th of her career over the right field wall to put the Lopes on the board.

"It took a little pressure off when you get a lead," GCU head coach Shanon Hays said. "Both pitchers were throwing so well. Obviously, Golden had a great game. But that's how you have to win sometimes. You take it when you can. We had some good at bats. (Utah Valley pitcher Avery) Sapp kind of wore down a little bit, and we started making her get in the zone and we hit some good pitches."

Lopes graduate designated player Ramsay Lopez then walked and was followed by a single from junior center fielder Makaiya Gomez, who stole second base with freshman pinch-runner Haley Wolsky advancing to third. That set up an RBI single to left field from senior shortstop Katelyn Dunckel for a 2-0 lead.

A sacrifice fly by GCU freshman second baseman Savannah Kirk and an RBI single from junior pinch-hitter Kaitlyn Brannstrom scored the Lopes' final two runs for a 4-0 lead.

Golden, now 12-3 with a 1.94 ERA, was perfect through four innings, and the Wolverines only put runners on base with a hit batsman and an error until the bottom of the seventh. The Wolverines used a one-out bunt single and a single and a walk with two outs to load the bases before Golden struck out the final batter looking.

"She had good stuff today," Hays said. "When she's spotting her stuff and getting ahead in the count, she's really hard to hit. She's so different than most pitchers with her upspin. She's a battler and a competitor. Tinley (Lucas), who's our catcher, they work together. She's a big catcher and helps her zone. When Meghan's rolling, she's hard to beat."