Gonzalez collects 2 go-ahead RBIs to sweep doubleheader

Friday, March 6

San Diego, Calif.

12:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

24-0

Notre Dame

7-13

Notre Dame

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Braden Dohrmann

Gonzalez collects 2 go-ahead RBIs to sweep doubleheader

3/6/2026 9:59:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

25-0 Lopes set program's winning streak record in San Diego

By: Braden Dohrmann

SAN DIEGO - Grand Canyon got a win and a save from senior right-hander Maggie Place and two go-ahead RBI hits from senior Emily Gonzalez en route to wins over Notre Dame and host San Diego on Friday.

GCU set a program-record winning streak that now stands at 25 games, breaking the record of 23 games that was set last year to end the regular season. The Lopes (25-0) have won 49 of their last 51 games with the two losses coming against Ole Miss and Arizona in the 2025 Tucson Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

GCU 4, Notre Dame 2

Sophomore left-hander Oakley Vickers started in the circle for the Lopes, going 3 2/3 innings pitched without allowing a run and striking out four. Freshman right-hander Abi Jones, the winning pitcher, came in relief for 2 2/3 innings.

Two runs scored against Jones due to her throwing error to first base that could have ended the inning. The runs tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth. However, she was picked up by the offense in the fifth inning, putting her in line for the win.

The two Lopes runs in the third inning came off the bat of Jada Cooper, as the sophomore first baseman hammered a two-run shot to far over the center-field wall. It was her sixth home run of the year and gave her 24 RBIs, both of which lead the team.

GCU freshman second baseman Raegan Holtorf scored on the play after her lead-off walk. Holtorf was the only Lope with multiple hits in Game 1, following with two more hits in the nightcap against San Diego.

With the game tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth, senior Emily Gonzalez stepped to the plate with Holtorf on third and two outs. Gonzalez worked a full count and laced a line drive over the outstretched glove of the Notre Dame third baseman to take a 3-2 lead.

Vickers re-entered in the top of the sixth with runners on second and third and just one out. She struck out each batter she faced to get out of the jam and hold the 3-2 lead for GCU.

Sophomore third baseman Ellie Pond, who entered the game off the bench in the fourth inning, torched a first-pitch triple down the right field line with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning. Redshirt freshman shortstop Haley Wilkinson immediately followed the triple with an RBI ground out to score Pond, making the Lopes lead 4-2.

Place closed the door in the circle, earning her second save of the season by getting the final two outs.

GCU 5, San Diego 2

The Lopes' scoring struggles continued in Game 2, which marked the first true road game for GCU this season.

However, despite leaving 13 runners on base, their five runs on 10 hits were plenty for Grand Canyon's 25th straight win to open the season.

GCU opened the scoring in the third inning when graduate left fielder Trinity Martin was hit by pitch with the bases loaded and no outs. With the makings of a big inning, the Lopes then went out in order without adding a run.

The next two innings, San Diego managed one run per inning, thanks to a multitude of base hits off GCU starter Natalie Fritz and Jones in relief. After five innings, GCU trailed 2-1.

Fritz pitched three innings, allowing one earned run and striking out three. The earned run was the first the Lopes had allowed in six consecutive games.

With the Lopes' backs against the wall, junior third baseman Mackenzie Nolan kept the team alive with a lead-off double to left-center field in the top of the sixth inning. After a McCray walk and Cooper single, the bases were once again jammed, this time for freshman right fielder Addison Shifflett.

Shifflett saw five pitches, four of them balls for a game-tying walk. Then, Gonzalez came up again with an opportunity to break a 2-2 tie, as she had earlier in the day against Notre Dame.

Gonzo capitalized again, hitting a bloop single into shallow center field to score two runs for a 4-2 lead. Two batters later, Wilkinson added her second hit of the game with a line-drive single to left, scoring Shifflett and pushing the Lopes' lead to 5-2.

Place once again shut the door, this time to earn the win and move to 5-0 on the season. She threw the final 2 1/3 innings for the Lopes, only allowing one base runner. Place has two wins and a save in the first three games of the San Diego Classic this weekend.

GCU remains one of three teams in the nation with an undefeated record, as No. 1 Tennessee knocked off No. 16 LSU and No. 6 Alabama won at Ole Miss.

The Lopes return to action for two more games Saturday, starting the day at 11 a.m. (Phoenix time) by playing Princeton at USD Softball Complex. Later,they drive to SDSU Softball Stadium for the final game of the weekend in a rematch with Notre Dame.at 3 p.m. (Phoenix time). Neither game will be televised.