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, February 28
Phoenix, Ariz.
6:30 p.m.
Grand Canyon
13-3
10
vs
2
Utah State
11-6
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Utah State
2
0
0
0
0
2
3
0
Grand Canyon
1
8
0
1
X
10
10
0
Photo by: Bryce Fairchild
Lopes run-rule Aggies Friday night
2/28/2025 10:00:00 PM | Softball
GCU's 8-run 2nd inning propels 13th win in 16 games
Grand Canyon scored 10 unanswered to run-rule an 11-win Utah State team with a 10-2, five-inning victory Friday night at GCU Softball Stadium.
Constant production from the top of the lineup and a grand slam by freshman Jada Cooper catapulted the Lopes (13-3) over the Aggies (11-6).
GCU went down 2-0 in the top of the first inning after two infield hits, a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly. The Lopes answered in the bottom half of the inning, when sophomore second baseman Savannah Kirk started the rally by singling and stealing second. She scored easily on an RBI single by graduate right fielder Makaiya Gomez, who scored two more on her next at bat when she singled down the right-field line in an eight-run second inning.
The second inning scored eight on six hits from the high-powered GCU lineup. After a walk and hit by pitch to start the inning, the Lopes ripped off three straight singles from the 1-3 hitters in the lineup. Kirk, who got one of the those base hits, ended the night with her fourth three-hit performance of the season. Kirk and junior center fielder Sydney McCray both snagged stolen bases in the inning to get in scoring position for the Gomez single.
Continuing the big inning, junior first baseman Emily Gonzalez added a fourth straight single and sophomore catcher Tinley Lucas walked to load the bases for Cooper, who dodged the first pitch in the at-bat. Luckily for the Lopes, it missed her for ball one and the next pitch exited the stadium. Cooper belted a grand slam deep to left-center field for a 9-2 lead.
Sophomore starting pitcher Maggie Place went another three innings, earning her fifth win of the season. Place struggled to find the zone Friday night, compared to previous appearances. However, consistent with her other pitching performances this season, she battled and limited the damage. Freshman Oakley Vickers made her first appearance since Feb. 14 against Belmont, closing out the game with two scoreless innings on one hit. She struck out two of the seven batters she faced.
A bases-loaded sacrifice fly by sophomore shortstop Mackenzie Nolan brought in the 10th GCU run in the bottom of the fourth, putting the Lopes in position for a run-rule win.
Grand Canyon gets right back to action Saturday night with games against Yale and Oregon State at 4 and 6:30 p.m,. respectively, at GCU Softball Stadium.
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Constant production from the top of the lineup and a grand slam by freshman Jada Cooper catapulted the Lopes (13-3) over the Aggies (11-6).
GCU went down 2-0 in the top of the first inning after two infield hits, a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly. The Lopes answered in the bottom half of the inning, when sophomore second baseman Savannah Kirk started the rally by singling and stealing second. She scored easily on an RBI single by graduate right fielder Makaiya Gomez, who scored two more on her next at bat when she singled down the right-field line in an eight-run second inning.
The second inning scored eight on six hits from the high-powered GCU lineup. After a walk and hit by pitch to start the inning, the Lopes ripped off three straight singles from the 1-3 hitters in the lineup. Kirk, who got one of the those base hits, ended the night with her fourth three-hit performance of the season. Kirk and junior center fielder Sydney McCray both snagged stolen bases in the inning to get in scoring position for the Gomez single.
Continuing the big inning, junior first baseman Emily Gonzalez added a fourth straight single and sophomore catcher Tinley Lucas walked to load the bases for Cooper, who dodged the first pitch in the at-bat. Luckily for the Lopes, it missed her for ball one and the next pitch exited the stadium. Cooper belted a grand slam deep to left-center field for a 9-2 lead.
Sophomore starting pitcher Maggie Place went another three innings, earning her fifth win of the season. Place struggled to find the zone Friday night, compared to previous appearances. However, consistent with her other pitching performances this season, she battled and limited the damage. Freshman Oakley Vickers made her first appearance since Feb. 14 against Belmont, closing out the game with two scoreless innings on one hit. She struck out two of the seven batters she faced.
A bases-loaded sacrifice fly by sophomore shortstop Mackenzie Nolan brought in the 10th GCU run in the bottom of the fourth, putting the Lopes in position for a run-rule win.
Grand Canyon gets right back to action Saturday night with games against Yale and Oregon State at 4 and 6:30 p.m,. respectively, at GCU Softball Stadium.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Place, Maggie (5-2)
L: LIMOSNERO, Carly (3-4)
Batting:
RBI: GONZALEZ, Giselle 1
SF: GONZALEZ, Giselle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: FIFITA, Ariel 1 ; MARBLE, Olivia 1
HBP: FIFITA, Ariel 1 ; GONZALEZ, Giselle 1
Batting:
2B: Weckel, Mia 1
HR: Cooper, Jada 1
RBI: Kirk, Savannah 1 ; McCray, Sydney 1 ; Gomez, Makaiya 3 ; Cooper, Jada 4 ; Nolan, Mackenzie 1
SH: Nolan, Mackenzie 1
SF: Nolan, Mackenzie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kirk, Savannah 2 ; McCray, Sydney 1 ; Gomez, Makaiya 1 ; Selfors, Macie 1 ; Lucas, Tinley 1 ; Williams, Briah 1 ; Cooper, Jada 1 ; Weckel, Mia 1 ; Wolsky, Haley 1
SB: Kirk, Savannah 3 ; McCray, Sydney 1
HBP: Gonzalez, Emily 1 ; Kepa'a, Lovey 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
4
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
LHP
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