Hit parade snags sweep, puts win streak at 7

Saturday, April 5

Phoenix, Ariz.

12 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Southern Utah

Photo by: Brayden Stenner

4/5/2025 3:55:00 PM | Softball, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery

GCU piles up 13 singles with Kirk, Gomez each getting 3

By: Paul Coro

Grand Canyon does not lose often. But when the Lopes do, it only makes them want to win more.

Ever since GCU dropped an extra-inning game to then-No. 10 Arizona and a series at Tarleton State, pardon the onslaught that has come for anyone in the Lopes' path.

GCU tied its second-highest hit total of the season (13) in four innings of at bats Saturday to complete a sweep of Southern Utah with a 13-4 win. The WAC run rule called the game after 4 1/2 innings at GCU Softball Stadium.

The Lopes (30-6, 9-2 WAC) have outscored opponents 55-11 over a seven-game winning streak for the program's first run of five consecutive 30-win seasons, all of which occurred since head coach Shanon Hays took the helm. This season's team ranks in the national top 10 for winning percentage at .833.

"No more of that," GCU freshman third baseman Willa Ford said of taking half of its losses over four days (March 19-22). "I think about it every day. I'm not even joking. Every time I practice hitting, I think, 'We're not losing again.' I refuse. I felt that in my stomach. I was sick for two days."

The WAC-leading Lopes peppered the Thunderbirds for 13 hits – all singles – on Sunday with sophomore second baseman Savannah Kirk doing even more damage at the top of the order because of how the bottom of the order delivered.

Out of the bottom four spots, GCU went 5 for 6 with three walks, three sacrifices and five RBIs. That brought up Kirk to deliver RBI singles in the second, third and fourth innings, giving her nine games with at least three hits this season.

Phoenix, AZ - April 5, 2025, GCU Softball defeats Southern Utah 13-4 in a Saturday morning game at GCU Softball Stadium. (Photo by Brayden Stenner/GCU).

Phoenix, AZ - April 5, 2025, GCU Softball defeats Southern Utah 13-4 in a Saturday morning game at GCU Softball Stadium. (Photo by Brayden Stenner/GCU).

"It's good to see our team hitting," Kirk said. "It's fun to be put in different situations and see what I can do to help the team more. It sounds corny, but I feel guilty for not working hard. I just genuinely want to help my team as much as I can. I did kind of all right last year, but I just am trying to top last year and keep getting better."

"All right" last season was good enough for WAC Freshman of the Year.

"Getting better" has Kirk hitting .520 this season to rank second in the nation behind Boise State's Sophia Knight's .527 clip. Kirk already has surpassed her 2024 totals for hits (64) and RBIs (21). She is threatening to break a 29-year-old WAC batting average record (.508).

Kirk has been part of a GCU hit parade since the Lopes batted .236 over that 1-3 stretch against Arizona and Tarleton State. During this seven-game winning streak, GCU is hitting .368.

"We've been better offensively, for sure," Hays said. "I didn't feel like we were mentally where we needed to be against Tarleton, and they took advantage of that.

"We had a better offensive day today, and we pitched it very well yesterday. Hunter and Jayme (assistant coaches Hunter Hays and Jayme Bailey) did a good job of working with our hitters, making some adjustments on their tendencies and we took better swings."

Phoenix, AZ - April 5, 2025, GCU Softball defeats Southern Utah 13-4 in a Saturday morning game at GCU Softball Stadium. (Photo by Brayden Stenner/GCU).

The Lopes wiped away a 1-0 deficit with a six-run second inning, when they took the lead on graduate left fielder Mia Weckel's two-run single. Kirk and senior right fielder Makaiya Gomez, who each had three hits, added RBI singles as GCU posted a six-run inning for the second consecutive weekend and sixth time this season.

Lopes junior pinch-hitter Arriana Wright delivered her seventh RBI in 20 plate appearances this season, and Kirk added a two-out RBI single to push the lead to 8-1 in the third.

GCU took the lead to run-rule potential in the fourth inning, when Kirk's third RBI single followed Ford's bases-loaded walk and a two-RBI single by sophomore shortstop Mackenzie Nolan, who drilled a 2-2 pitch to right field. Junior center fielder Sydney McCray topped off the Lopes' scoring with a RBI single down the left-field line for a 13-4 lead.

Freshman reliever Oakley Vickers picked up her second GCU win, following senior Meghan Golden (9-0) tossing a 2-hit shutout and junior Taryn Batteron (12-1) pitching six innings without an earned run in Friday's wins. Lopes pitchers limited the Thunderbirds to .192 hitting for the three-game series.

"It's good to be on a little bit of a roll, but what's keeps you on a roll is solid pitching," Hays said. "We, especially Taryn and Meg, have done a good job of that."

Phoenix, AZ - April 5, 2025, GCU Softball defeats Southern Utah 13-4 in a Saturday morning game at GCU Softball Stadium. (Photo by Brayden Stenner/GCU).

GCU has been without injured third baseman Lovey Kepa'a over the past two conference series, but Ford stepped in strongly by going 4 for 10 with 10 walks in six games.

"Willa's been key," Hays said. "She'll get that key hit or walk here or there. She's had some intelligent at bats and had a good feel for that. With Lovey being injured, she's been exactly what we need to steady the ship. What's great about Willa is she can play any position well. I'm proud of what she's done."

The Edmond, Oklahoma, native also did not make an error over the two weekend series and ended Saturday's game with a leaping, back-handed grab on a line drive that she turned into a double play with a throw to first base.

"We just connect," Ford said of her team. "I like how competitive we are. We all do our own thing, but it works together. We cooperate really well."

GCU will stay home to take on second-place Seattle U (23-4, 8-4 WAC) for next weekend's series at GCU Softball Stadium.

"Losing woke us up a little bit," Kirk said. "We were lolly-gagging and let off. I hope we can keep playing the way we've been playing."