Completed Event: Softball versus San José State on March 22, 2026 , Win , 10, to, 4
Softball
vs San José State
W 10-4
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, February 7
Phoenix, Ariz.
1:15 p.m.
Grand Canyon
3-0
4
vs
3
Southern Utah
0-5
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
Southern Utah
0
0
1
0
0
0
2
3
4
3
Grand Canyon
0
0
1
0
1
0
2
4
5
3
Photo by: Nate Cochran
Lopes win by walk-off twice Saturday
2/7/2026 9:07:00 PM | Softball
Place's, Vickers' pitching sustains GCU's perfect record thorugh 4 games
Grand Canyon moved to 4-0 with a Saturday sweep of Southern Utah and Santa Clara, winning each in seventh-inning, walk-off style at GCU Softball Stadium.
A late scare in the early afternoon against Southern Utah was overcome when a fielding error scored GCU freshman Raegan Holtorf, her third run of the game, for the 4-3 Lopes win. GCU's 5-4 nightcap victory vs. Santa Clara also saw the Lopes' lead evaporate late in the game before senior Emily Gonzalez's double led to another freshman, Addison Shifflett, scoring the winning run on a wild pitch.
Grand Canyon junior Maggie Place was stellar in her debut start for 2026. Place went 6 1/3 innings, allowing just one earned run despite three runs coming across when she was in the circle. Place struck out seven and only allowed four hits. Place was snubbed for the win, as sophomore Natalie Fritz entered late in the seventh inning to get her second win of the opening weekend.
Offensively, the Lopes were mostly stifled by Southern Utah's Hannah Duncan, who went 6 2/3 innings and allowed four hits, four walks and eventually the four runs that would be enough for GCU.
Holtorf, a second baseman, collected three of the four hits GCU managed in the game, also scoring three of the Lopes' four runs. In the third inning, Holtorf ripped a triple down the right-field line and scored on a McCray RBI groundout.
In the fifth inning, Holtorf singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored two ground balls later.
In the top of the seventh, the Thunderbirds flipped the game on its head by scoring twice to take a 3-2 lead. After a leadoff infield single, a chopper was fielded cleanly by third baseman Haley Wilkinson before the redshirt freshman's throw was off mark to second base in an attempt for a double play. Holtorf could not handle the throw, leaving runners on first and second with no outs.
After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners over and a hit by pitch loaded the bases, Southern Utah's Alayah Toscano's singled to left center to score two runs. Fritz eventually helped the Lopes escape further damage and hold onto a one-run lead.
In the bottom half of the inning, GCU freshman catcher Sarah Campbell hit a leadoff single in her first collegiate start. Chaos then ensued as Holtorf earned her third hit on a bunt single, and McCray's bunt was coughed up by the pitcher for an error.
With no outs and the bases loaded, Wilkinson tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right field.
When graduate outfielder Trinity Martin popped out to shallow right field, Holtorf baited a throw home that the Thunderbirds catcher dropped to allow the freshman to slide just in time for the win.
A late lead evaporated as well, with Santa Clara scoring three runs in the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game at 4-4, leading to another bottom-of-the-seventh Lopes walk-off score.
Graduate transfer Trinity Martin, expected to provide power numbers this season, did just that with a two-run, opposite-field home run that put GCU head 2-1 n the second inning.
In the fourth inning, Lopes senior center fielder Sydney McCray laced a line drive to center field, giving GCU a 4-1 lead when two runners scored rom a bases-loaded scenario, which came from Martin being hit by pitch and walks to catcher Tinley Lucas and Holtorf.
After Santa Clara tied the game at 4-4, the Lopes found a way in the seventh inning once again thanks to power hitters in the middle of the lineup. Hot-hitting junior Alina Satcher hit a leadoff single before a double from Gonzalez, who deserved a hit after a tough start to the weekend with multiple line-drive outs.
With runners on second and third and one out, Shifflett pinch-ran for Satcher on third. A pitch later, Santa Clara's Ellison Schroeder sailed the pitch over the catcher's head for a wild pitch, allowing Shifflett to score the game-winning run.
It was not a pretty day from the Lopes by any means, but a pair of gritty wins still brought Grand Canyon to 4-0 on opening weekend.
GCU will play a rematch with Santa Clara at 10 a.m. Sunday to close out the weekend at GCU Softball Stadium.
A late scare in the early afternoon against Southern Utah was overcome when a fielding error scored GCU freshman Raegan Holtorf, her third run of the game, for the 4-3 Lopes win. GCU's 5-4 nightcap victory vs. Santa Clara also saw the Lopes' lead evaporate late in the game before senior Emily Gonzalez's double led to another freshman, Addison Shifflett, scoring the winning run on a wild pitch.
GCU 4, Southern Utah 3
A day after GCU throttled the Thunderbirds 17-2 for its first 17-run game in four years. the Saturday rematch was a different story with a pitching duel stealing the stage.Grand Canyon junior Maggie Place was stellar in her debut start for 2026. Place went 6 1/3 innings, allowing just one earned run despite three runs coming across when she was in the circle. Place struck out seven and only allowed four hits. Place was snubbed for the win, as sophomore Natalie Fritz entered late in the seventh inning to get her second win of the opening weekend.
Offensively, the Lopes were mostly stifled by Southern Utah's Hannah Duncan, who went 6 2/3 innings and allowed four hits, four walks and eventually the four runs that would be enough for GCU.
Holtorf, a second baseman, collected three of the four hits GCU managed in the game, also scoring three of the Lopes' four runs. In the third inning, Holtorf ripped a triple down the right-field line and scored on a McCray RBI groundout.
In the fifth inning, Holtorf singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored two ground balls later.
In the top of the seventh, the Thunderbirds flipped the game on its head by scoring twice to take a 3-2 lead. After a leadoff infield single, a chopper was fielded cleanly by third baseman Haley Wilkinson before the redshirt freshman's throw was off mark to second base in an attempt for a double play. Holtorf could not handle the throw, leaving runners on first and second with no outs.
After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners over and a hit by pitch loaded the bases, Southern Utah's Alayah Toscano's singled to left center to score two runs. Fritz eventually helped the Lopes escape further damage and hold onto a one-run lead.
In the bottom half of the inning, GCU freshman catcher Sarah Campbell hit a leadoff single in her first collegiate start. Chaos then ensued as Holtorf earned her third hit on a bunt single, and McCray's bunt was coughed up by the pitcher for an error.
With no outs and the bases loaded, Wilkinson tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right field.
When graduate outfielder Trinity Martin popped out to shallow right field, Holtorf baited a throw home that the Thunderbirds catcher dropped to allow the freshman to slide just in time for the win.
GCU 5, Santa Clara 4
Saturday's Game 2 for GCU was a cleaner one but had similar traits to the first. A dominant outing in the circle came this time from sophomore left-hander Oakley Vickers, who tossed 6 1/3 innings and allowed just three runs (two earned) while stirking out seven.A late lead evaporated as well, with Santa Clara scoring three runs in the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game at 4-4, leading to another bottom-of-the-seventh Lopes walk-off score.
Graduate transfer Trinity Martin, expected to provide power numbers this season, did just that with a two-run, opposite-field home run that put GCU head 2-1 n the second inning.
In the fourth inning, Lopes senior center fielder Sydney McCray laced a line drive to center field, giving GCU a 4-1 lead when two runners scored rom a bases-loaded scenario, which came from Martin being hit by pitch and walks to catcher Tinley Lucas and Holtorf.
After Santa Clara tied the game at 4-4, the Lopes found a way in the seventh inning once again thanks to power hitters in the middle of the lineup. Hot-hitting junior Alina Satcher hit a leadoff single before a double from Gonzalez, who deserved a hit after a tough start to the weekend with multiple line-drive outs.
With runners on second and third and one out, Shifflett pinch-ran for Satcher on third. A pitch later, Santa Clara's Ellison Schroeder sailed the pitch over the catcher's head for a wild pitch, allowing Shifflett to score the game-winning run.
It was not a pretty day from the Lopes by any means, but a pair of gritty wins still brought Grand Canyon to 4-0 on opening weekend.
GCU will play a rematch with Santa Clara at 10 a.m. Sunday to close out the weekend at GCU Softball Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fritz, Natalie (2-0)
L: Duncan, Hannah (0-1)
Batting:
RBI: Toscano, Alayah 2
SH: De la Cruz, Michelle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Munoz, Kassidy 1 ; Toscano, Alayah 1 ; Tamkoc, Mia 1
HBP: Knight, Isabella 1 ; Burgos, Aubrie 1
Batting:
2B: Satcher, Alina 1
3B: Holtorf, Raegan 1
RBI: Wilkinson, Haley 2 ; McCray, Sydney 1
SH: McCray, Sydney 1
SF: Wilkinson, Haley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Holtorf, Raegan 3 ; Rueda, Izzy 1
SB: Wilkinson, Haley 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
3
H
3
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
lf/rf
AB
4
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Softball
RHP
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UTIL
/ SoftballINF
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C
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
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RHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballNo. 22 GCU homers THREE times in dub over San José State #collegesoftball
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