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 11
Phoenix, Ariz.
4:30 p.m.
Grand Canyon
31-6, 0
12
vs
4
Seattle U
23-15, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
R
H
E
Seattle U
1
0
0
0
3
0
4
7
2
Grand Canyon
4
1
0
6
0
1
12
9
1
Photo by: Nate Cochran
Pair of Gonzalez homers help keep GCU in 1st
4/11/2025 9:37:00 PM | Softball, Paul Coro
Lopes post 3 consecutive double-digit scoring games for 1st time since 2016
Friday began at GCU Softball Stadium with a doubleheader billed as a matchup of the WAC standings' top two teams.
After Grand Canyon chased Seattle U with a pair of 12-run outbursts, the Lopes are in command of the WAC race with a two-game lead (four in the loss column).
The Lopes won their eighth and ninth consecutive games, 12-4 and 12-2, in six-inning, run-rule fashion and have posted double-digit run totals in three consecutive games for the first time since 2016.
GCU homered four times and doubled six times in the two games, while also tying the WAC record it set last season by drawing 13 walks in Friday's first game.
Lopes junior Emily Gonzalez crushed a mutli-run home run in each game, setting a career high with her fifth and sixth home runs of the season.
"I'm making adjustments every at bat and changing things if something doesn't work," Gonzalez said. "Keeping it simple is what's working best for me right now. This definitely is the best I'm hitting this season. I feel good in my swing right now."
The Lopes trailed 1-0 after the top of the first tinning, but the Redhawks' lead was short-lived. In the bottom half, GCU graduate right fielder Makaiya Gomez smashed a three-run, no-out home run to take the team lead in RBIs (36) and tie freshman Jada Cooper for the team lead in homers (nine). RBI sacrifice flies by sophomore catcher Tinley Lucas in the first inning and Gomez (37th RBI) in the second inning pushed the Lopes lead to 5-1.
Gonzalez's first home run bumped the advantage to 7-1 in the fourth inning before sophomore shortstop Mackenzie Nolan ripped the first pitch she saw later in the fourth for a three-run double and 10-1 bulge. It marked Nolan's second consecutive game with three RBIs. Sophomore second baseman Savannah Kirk, who has an 11-game hitting streak after going 3 for 8 in the two games, hit a RBI single for an 11-1 lead in the fourth.
After Weckel's third dobule in the sixth, the Lopes drew their 11th, 12th and 13th walks consecutively to end the game on the run rule.
GCU junior pitcher Taryn Batterton allowed one earned run in four innings to improve to 13-1, giving her the fifth-best winning percentage in the nation for any pitcher with at least 13 victories.
Using Seattle U walks again, GCU took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second when Kirk lined a three-run, two-out double to left-center field. The leadoff batter has eight RBIs in the past three games, giving her a career-high 26 RBIs this season as she hits .511 with 34-for-34 base stealing.
Lopes freshman third baseman Willa Ford homered twice in one game March 21 at Tarleton State, but those remained her only homers of the season until she whacked a 2-2 pitch for a three-run, two-out home run and 6-1, third-inning lead.Â
GCU left-handed pitcher Oakley Vickers, a freshman from Oklahoma like Ford, delivered shutout relief in each game Friday. She worked 1 1/3 innings in the first game and 2 1/3 innings in the second game, allowing one hit in her 3 2/3 shutout innings with four strikeouts.
"I feel much more confident in going in," said Vickers, whose GCU pitching coach, Kat Frakes, also was a left-handed pitcher. "I've worked on getting more in on righties. I'm a lot more confident on lefties because that is what he (Hays) puts me in for."
After Vickers entered to strand a runner on second in the fourth, she tossed a pair of shutout innings to set GCU up for a six-run sixth inning to end the game early with only one out. It dropped her season ERA to 2.25.
After a walk, infield single and sacrifice, more GCU scoring ensued when Kirk smacked a hit off the pitcher for a 7-2 lead. Lopes senior pinch-hitter Alexis Soto connected for a RBI single up the right-field line for a 9-2 lead before Seattle U's 18th walk of the night set up Gonalez's game-ending, three-run home run. Despite going through a string of well-hit outs in the early season, Gonzalez is hitting a career-best .373.
The second game marked only the third time this season that GCU has faced a left-handed starting pitcher, but the Lopes tagged sophomore southpaw Avari Morris for 12 earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.
"We were swinging it well, especially the second game," GCU head coach Shanon Hays said. "One of their good pitchers is hurt, so they kind of sacrificed the first game to try to beat us the second game, which is smart. The lefty they threw us has been throwing really well, and we had some really good at bats."
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After Grand Canyon chased Seattle U with a pair of 12-run outbursts, the Lopes are in command of the WAC race with a two-game lead (four in the loss column).
The Lopes won their eighth and ninth consecutive games, 12-4 and 12-2, in six-inning, run-rule fashion and have posted double-digit run totals in three consecutive games for the first time since 2016.
GCU homered four times and doubled six times in the two games, while also tying the WAC record it set last season by drawing 13 walks in Friday's first game.
Lopes junior Emily Gonzalez crushed a mutli-run home run in each game, setting a career high with her fifth and sixth home runs of the season.
"I'm making adjustments every at bat and changing things if something doesn't work," Gonzalez said. "Keeping it simple is what's working best for me right now. This definitely is the best I'm hitting this season. I feel good in my swing right now."
Game 1: GCU 12, Seattle U 4
GCU graduate left fielder Mia Weckel blasted past the first two-double game of her career and laced three doubles, sparking a Lopes offense that got on base 23 times in the 12-4, six-inning opening win against Seattle U.The Lopes trailed 1-0 after the top of the first tinning, but the Redhawks' lead was short-lived. In the bottom half, GCU graduate right fielder Makaiya Gomez smashed a three-run, no-out home run to take the team lead in RBIs (36) and tie freshman Jada Cooper for the team lead in homers (nine). RBI sacrifice flies by sophomore catcher Tinley Lucas in the first inning and Gomez (37th RBI) in the second inning pushed the Lopes lead to 5-1.
Gonzalez's first home run bumped the advantage to 7-1 in the fourth inning before sophomore shortstop Mackenzie Nolan ripped the first pitch she saw later in the fourth for a three-run double and 10-1 bulge. It marked Nolan's second consecutive game with three RBIs. Sophomore second baseman Savannah Kirk, who has an 11-game hitting streak after going 3 for 8 in the two games, hit a RBI single for an 11-1 lead in the fourth.After Weckel's third dobule in the sixth, the Lopes drew their 11th, 12th and 13th walks consecutively to end the game on the run rule.
GCU junior pitcher Taryn Batterton allowed one earned run in four innings to improve to 13-1, giving her the fifth-best winning percentage in the nation for any pitcher with at least 13 victories.
Game 2: GCU 12, Seattle U 2
The Lopes, ranked 15th nationally for batting average, trailed 1-0 again in the second game before the offense broke out.Using Seattle U walks again, GCU took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second when Kirk lined a three-run, two-out double to left-center field. The leadoff batter has eight RBIs in the past three games, giving her a career-high 26 RBIs this season as she hits .511 with 34-for-34 base stealing.
Lopes freshman third baseman Willa Ford homered twice in one game March 21 at Tarleton State, but those remained her only homers of the season until she whacked a 2-2 pitch for a three-run, two-out home run and 6-1, third-inning lead.Â
GCU left-handed pitcher Oakley Vickers, a freshman from Oklahoma like Ford, delivered shutout relief in each game Friday. She worked 1 1/3 innings in the first game and 2 1/3 innings in the second game, allowing one hit in her 3 2/3 shutout innings with four strikeouts."I feel much more confident in going in," said Vickers, whose GCU pitching coach, Kat Frakes, also was a left-handed pitcher. "I've worked on getting more in on righties. I'm a lot more confident on lefties because that is what he (Hays) puts me in for."
After Vickers entered to strand a runner on second in the fourth, she tossed a pair of shutout innings to set GCU up for a six-run sixth inning to end the game early with only one out. It dropped her season ERA to 2.25.
After a walk, infield single and sacrifice, more GCU scoring ensued when Kirk smacked a hit off the pitcher for a 7-2 lead. Lopes senior pinch-hitter Alexis Soto connected for a RBI single up the right-field line for a 9-2 lead before Seattle U's 18th walk of the night set up Gonalez's game-ending, three-run home run. Despite going through a string of well-hit outs in the early season, Gonzalez is hitting a career-best .373.
The second game marked only the third time this season that GCU has faced a left-handed starting pitcher, but the Lopes tagged sophomore southpaw Avari Morris for 12 earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.
"We were swinging it well, especially the second game," GCU head coach Shanon Hays said. "One of their good pitchers is hurt, so they kind of sacrificed the first game to try to beat us the second game, which is smart. The lefty they threw us has been throwing really well, and we had some really good at bats."
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Batterton, Taryn (13-1)
L: Chaidez, Naomi (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Morris, Mikee 1 ; Johnson, Camryn 1
HR: Fitch, Taylor 1
RBI: Fitch, Taylor 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Morris, Mikee 2 ; Fitch, Taylor 1 ; Morris, Amanda 1
Batting:
2B: Martin, Trinity 3 ; Cooper, Jada 1 ; Nolan, Mackenzie 1
HR: Beyer, McKinsey 1 ; Gonzalez, Emily 1
RBI: Kirk, Savannah 1 ; Beyer, McKinsey 4 ; Gonzalez, Emily 2 ; Cooper, Jada 1 ; Lucas, Tinley 1 ; Nolan, Mackenzie 3
SF: Beyer, McKinsey 1 ; Lucas, Tinley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kirk, Savannah 1 ; Martin, Trinity 4 ; Beyer, McKinsey 1 ; Gonzalez, Emily 1 ; Wolsky, Haley 1 ; Cooper, Jada 1 ; McCray, Sydney 1 ; Ford, Willa 1 ; Nolan, Mackenzie 1
SB: McCray, Sydney 2
HBP: McCray, Sydney 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
4
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
4
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
OF
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