Place, fellow newcomers finish 5-1 tourney

Sunday, February 9

Phoenix, Ariz.

11:30 a.m.

Grand Canyon

5-1

Montana

1-4

Montana

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Jayden Todd

2/9/2025 12:53:00 PM | Softball, Paul Coro

Box Score

GCU right-hander deals 4-hitter for 6 innings in 2nd win

By: Paul Coro

Grand Canyon's season-opening stretch of six games in four days began with the returnees showing the standard and ended with newcomers showing their potential to maintain it.

GCU completed a 5-1 start to the season Sunday with an 8-0 win against Montana at GCU Softball Stadium, where sophomore transfer Maggie Place blanked the Grizzlies in a six-inning, run-rule finale and freshman shortstop Haley Wilkinson delivered a two-hit, two-RBI game in her first start.

After hitting .191 in the previous two games, the Lopes defeated Montana for a second consecutive day by going 11 for 26 (.423) with well-hit outs nearly being as common as hits.

Place, who threw 4 2/3 relief innings for GCU's season-opening win, bounced back from taking the Friday loss to Wichita State by using her second start to drop her ERA to 2.13. She faced the minimum 12 batters over the final four innings with a defense that went error-less for the consecutive day.

Maggie Place

The Washington, Oklahoma, native is making the adjustment from playing at Division II Oklahoma Baptist last season before rejoining Lopes sophomore catcher Tinley Lucas, her teammate since age 8 on a youth club before playing together at Washington (Oklahoma) High School.

"I've definitely adjusted through the three games, and I feel like today was my best and I felt better," Place said. "We worked more pitches and changed it up a bit since last time.

"I really love this program, all the coaches and it's really exciting to be with my catcher again."

The Lopes used six pitchers for a 2.08 team ERA that was highlighted by junior Taryn Batterton's 11 2/3 shutout innings and a no-hitter against Colgate. Opponents hit .219 over the six games with Montana only registering one extra-base hit in two losses.

"We're a growing team, a team that needs to mature in a lot of ways," GCU head coach Shanon Hays said. "We do some good things, and we do some immature things, but our pitching was solid for the weekend. That's a huge positive for us with Taryn stepping up and being as good as she was. As a staff, we've got good promise."

Wilkinson, who pinch-hit once Thursday, started in place of sophomore Mackenzie Nolan at shortstop and spotted Place a lead in the first inning Sunday. With two outs, Wilkinson sent a 2-2 pitch into center field to score two runs.

The Lopes added another run in the third inning when sophomore second baseman Savannah Kirk, who is hitting .650 after her third three-hit outing in six games, punched a RBI single to center. It was set up by senior catcher Alexis Soto singling and freshman third baseman Willa Ford beginning her first GCU start with a double down the left-field line.

The inning looked to be bigger when center fielder Sydney McCray appeared to have a two-run double but was called out for stepping out of the batter's box. Even with the debated ruling, the junior college transfer is hitting .333 after six games. Six first-year Lopes started in the lineup Sunday in addition to Place on the mound and Soto behind the plate after playing just 11 games last season due to injury.

Wilkinson's bloop single in the third was GCU's only hit in a two-run rally that included three walks and a hit batsman for a 5-0 lead.

"We expect Haley to have a big future here," Hays said. "She had two hits, but they weren't the kind of hits you expect from her where she stays in her legs and drives the ball. I'm really happy with what Willa is doing and what she adds to her team. For a freshman, she gives you some mature at bats and she's a good defensive player. We're a young team, and we're growing. We can't be so spoiled to not expect growing pains."

While Place hit a groove on the mound, the Lopes ended the game an inning early by scoring three in the sixth inning, when junior designated player Emily Gonzalez began the rally with a RBI liner off the pitcher. In Gonzalez's six starts, Hays said eight of her 12 outs have been line-outs.

"The most misleading thing of the weekend is Emily Gonzalez," Hays said of the Southern Utah transfer's .250 batting average.

Seniors Lovey Kepa'a and Makaiya Gomez share the team RBI lead with six apiece after Kepa'a added a pinch-hit RBI single in the sixth inning Sunday.

GCU will return to action later this week when the Littlewood Classic, a shared host event with Arizona State, starts with a 6 p.m. Thursday game against Weber State. The Lopes will play 4 p.m. home doubleheaders on Friday (vs. Belmont and Washington) and Saturday (vs. No. 23 Oregon and North Dakota).

"We're going to have to get better because the next weekend is going to be really tough and the weekend after that," Hays said. "Hopefully, there's nowhere to go but up."