Undefeated weekend ends with win vs. UTEP

Sunday, March 2

Phoenix, Ariz.

11:30 a.m.

Grand Canyon

16-3

UTEP

10-9

UTEP

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Jayden Todd

3/2/2025 2:30:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Lopes' Cooper homers for 3rd consecutive day in 4-2 victory

By: Braden Dohrmann

Grand Canyon finished the weekend with a clean slate of 4-0 after taking down a tough UTEP team 4-2 on Sunday afternoon.

The Lopes (15-3) once again found a way to win despite less of an offensive output. This was mostly thanks to another dominant effort in the circle from the three-headed monster of senior Meghan Golden, sophomore Maggie Place and junior Taryn Batterton.

GCU jumped out to a 2-0 lead through two innings. In the first, junior outfielder Sydney McCray manufactured her own run with a single and a steal of third base that was thrown into the outfield, allowing her to score.

In the second inning, freshman phenom Jada Cooper struck again. Cooper took a 2-2 pitch to deep left-center field for her fifth home run of the week. Cooper went yard on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, making quite the imprint on the stat sheets during the GCU/ASU Invite. Cooper brought her season numbers up to a .404 batting average, five home runs and 17 RBIs.

Batterton got the start and went four innings for GCU. Exiting the game with a 2-0 lead, she was in line for the win. However, after a two-run fifth inning from UTEP, the win eventually went to Golden. Place allowed the two runs in the fifth, not giving up anything more than a single.

Graduate left fielder Mia Weckel made quite the play in the fifth inning from left field. With GCU facing a bases-loaded, no-out situation, UTEP pinch hitter Paige Lassiter lined one down the left-field line when the speedy Weckel caught the ball in foul territory. She then spun and used the momentum to fire a missile home, reaching sophomore catcher Tinley Lucas on a line, who placed the tag and doubled up the tagging Miners runner.

The Lopes scored two needed runs in the sixth. The inning began with a pair of walks and Weckel's second hit of the day to load the bases up with one out. Sophomore shortstop Mackenzie Nolan came to the plate and grounded out to second. After senior third baseman Lovey Kepa'a was thrown out at second, Nolan just barely outran the double-play attempt with pinch-running freshman Briah Williams scoring on the play. With a first-and-third situation looming with two outs, Nolan tried to distract the UTEP defense between first and second base. The catcher fired down to shortstop who cut the ball off, attempting to get Weckel out at home. UTEP shortstop Madi Mendoza lost the ball on the transition, allowing Weckel to score the Lopes' fourth run.

Golden took the Lopes home with two dominant innings in the sixth and seventh. She did not allow a baserunner, striking out two. Golden earned the win and moves to an impressive 5-0 on the season. Golden had another scoreless week in the circle, not allowing a run since Feb. 7. Her ERA is down to 0.91 through 29 2/3 innings of work.

GCU will be back in action for its final regular season tournament of the year, the Purple Classic. The Lopes will play five games in a four-day span, including a rematch with Utah State next Sunday. The first game of the weekend for GCU is against Saint Joseph's on Thursday, March 6 at 6:30 p.m.