Lopes hit 9-0 mark with pair of wins Saturday

Saturday, February 14

Phoenix, Ariz.

2:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

8-0

South Dakota

2-7

South Dakota

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Jayden Todd

2/14/2026 9:40:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Transfers Fritz, Martin lead way on both ends for GCU

By: Braden Dohrmann

Grand Canyon is 9-0 after another double header sweep, this time taking care of South Dakota and Northern Colorado.

A Natalie Fritz complete game shutout stole the show in game one, with graduate outfielder Trinity Martin's two-homer game sealing a ninth-consecutive win to open up the 2026 season.

Grand Canyon 1 - South Dakota 0

Game one for the Lopes saw just four hits combined between GCU and South Dakota, as the Lopes one hit was able to manufacture the one and only run scored in the ballgame.

That run and hit came in the bottom of the first inning, as leadoff hitter Sydney McCray walked, made her way to third base on a ground out, thanks to her elite speed and effort on the base paths, and finally scored on a Jada Cooper RBI single down the left field line.

GCU reached on an error and walked four times but were unable to earn another hit the next five frames. Luckily, sophomore transfer Natalie Fritz is now at Grand Canyon.

Fritz began the game going nine up, nine down and never looked back. She pounded the strike zone, striking out six batters, not walking anyone in the seven innings. She just made 86 pitches in the seven frames, serving up an efficient outing all around.

"I felt great out there," said Fritz. "I knew with just a one run lead, I had to stay locked in and that any small mistake could have serious consequences. My defense played great behind me."

Fritz earned the pitching staff's fourth shutout on the season and third complete-game shutout on the year.

Grand Canyon 8 - Northern Colorado 3

The bats returned in the nightcap against Northern Colorado, as GCU hit three home runs on ten hits.

The game started off with a scare, as starting pitcher Taryn Batterton took a line drive off the lower leg after just recording one out. She exited the game out of precaution and freshman Abi Jones entered.

Jones earned the first win of her college career, going four innings without allowing an earned run and striking out four.

The Lopes struck offensively in the second inning when freshman outfielder Addison Shifflett hit her first collegiate home run opposite field, bringing home the first three runs of the game.

Shifflett went three for three on the game, almost following up the long ball with another, when she hit one off the wall in her next at bat. The freshman leads the team with a .538 batting average, although she has just started four games on the season.

Trinity Martin added to the fun with home run blasts in the 3rd and 5th innings, a solo and three-run shot respectively. Martin scored three runs on the game.

I am just trusting the process," Martin said of her early struggles at the plate. "I am thankful to have a coach who sticks to his promises and believes in me. Trying not to hit the long ball, typically leads to me being able to do just that. Shooting for doubles and triples, gap-to-gap ball and picking good pitches to hit."

Martin tied the team-lead in home runs at three with Alina Satcher. The graduate transfer from Virginia Tech has been hitting the ball hard, but her average is lower than her liking as a mainstay in the middle of the lineup. After the big night, she is up to a .200 batting average with the second-most RBI's on the team (9).

Jada Cooper added another RBI single to her resume, with a base knock in each end of the double header. The sophomore has brought her average up to .381.

Oakley Vickers and freshman Lilly Camp helped relieve and close out the game in the circle. Camp posted two innings of work, the most of her short career, striking out three.

The Lopes return to action Sunday morning for their final game in the GCU Invite. They host Harvard with aims at starting the year 10-0 for the first time in program history.