Mistakes lead to extra-inning loss to UNLV

Friday, April 24

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

43-7, 16-4

UNLV

28-18, 15-5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
UNLV Rebels	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	1	4	7	2
Grand Canyon	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	9	1

Photo by: Bryce Wheeler

4/24/2026 11:16:00 PM | Softball

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Lopes hold 1-game lead on UNLV, Nevada entering Saturday's slate

By: Braden Dohrmann

Grand Canyon fell in extra innings Friday night to UNLV after a go-ahead, ninth-inning solo home run for the Rebels at GCU Softball Stadium.

Friday night's contest lasted two hours and 58 minutes, making it the longest game of the season for Grand Canyon. GCU (43-7, 16-4 Mountain West) scored all three of its runs in the fourth inning, unable to find any traction against UNLV southpaw Lauren Fettic, who pitched the entirety of the game for the Rebels (28-18, 15-5 MW).

In the third inning, GCU had runners on first and third with one out when senior center fielder Sydney McCray attempted to steal second. The UNLV catcher fired the ball directly to the shortstop, who in turn fired it straight back home to get junior shortstop Mackenzie Nolan who attempted to take home on the throw. McCray got caught in a pickle between second and third before she was eventually tagged out, ending the inning and her perfect streak of stolen bases twithout being caught at 30, which she earned in the first inning.

After three scoreless and hitless innings, GCU sophomore starter Natalie Fritz allowed a first-pitch home run to left field to give the Rebels a 1-0 lead in the fourth.

The Lopes responded nicely with three runs n the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded and one out, freshman right fielder Addison Shifflett lifted a towering fly ball to the warning track in center for a sacrifice fly, moving every runner up. With the game tied 1-1 and two outs, redshirt freshman tHaley Wilkinson pinch-hit and faced an 0-2 count when she hit a dribbler between the pitcher and first base.

The hit scored sophomore pinch-runner Briah Williams from third, and then Fettic bobbled the ball to allow junior catcher Tinley Lucas to score from second. The Lopes led 3-1 through four innings but would not score again.

UNLV tied it in the sixth, thanks to a string of hits and a two-out fielding error from Nolan. Freshman reliever Abi Jones, who took over in the fourth for Fritz, hit the first batter and allowed two singles to make the game 3-2. Sophomore left-hander Oakley Vickers entered the contest to stop the bleeding.

After a fly out and an infield single, the bases were loaded with two outs. A sharply hit Natalie Turner grounder to short was muffed by Nolan, allowing every runner to advance and tying the game at 3-3.

Vickers and Fettic traded punches the rest of the way, until the ninth inning when UNLV's Chavez hit a solo shot to break the scoring drought. Grand Canyon went down 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the ninth, giving UNLV a massive conference win.

Nevada (35-14, 15-5 MW) won via walk-off over Fresno State on Friday night, making for a compelling race down the stretch in the Mountain West. With five conference games remaining for each team, GCU leads Nevada and UNLV by a game for the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.

The Lopes and Rebels are back at it at GCU Softball Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. and conclude the series Sunday at 11 a.m. Each game will be streamed on Mountain West Network and televised on Arizona's Family Sports.