Completed Event: Softball at Colorado State on May 2, 2026 , Win , 11, to, 2 , (5 inn.)
Softball
at Colorado State
W 11-2
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Thursday, May 7
Reno, Nev.
3 p.m.
Grand Canyon
49-7
7
vs
6
(4) New Mexico
27-26
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Grand Canyon | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 1 |
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
GCU walks off New Mexico to move to MW semifinals
5/7/2026 8:22:00 PM | Softball
Lopes score 5 in 7th for crazy comeback capped by Shifflett's game-winning hit
RENO, Nev - Grand Canyon found a pull off one of the more improbable wins of the season in its Mountain West Championship quarterfinal Thursday against New Mexico.
After a pitchers' duel through five innings, New Mexico hit a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the seventh, seemingly all but sealing up a massive upset for the fourth-seeded Lobos. Despite a 6-2 deficit, top-seeded GCU was unwilling to lose. A five-run, six-hit inning brought the Lopes all the way back to walk off a 7-6 win that broke the hearts of the New Mexico faithful at Christina M. Hixson Softball Park.
No. 25 GCU (49-7) ended the game with consecutive two-out doubles from graduate left fielder Trinity Martin, senior designated player Emily Gonzalez and freshman right fielder Addison Shifflett to advance to a noon Friday semifinal against third-seeded host Nevada, which defeated second-seeded UNLV 13-6 on Thursday.
In March, Grand Canyon swept New Mexico while only allowing three runs in the three-game set in GCU's first-ever Mountain West series. On Thursday, the Lopes shut out the Lobos on two hits through five frames.
This was much in thanks to Oakley Vickers, the sophomore left-hander who earned her second career postseason start Thursday after also starting in the GCU win over Santa Clara in the 2025 Tucson Regional.
Vickers was dominant through five innings, keeping the Lobos scoreless, striking out eight batters and just allowing two hits. At one point, Vickers struck out four straight hitters. After being pulled in the sixth inning, Vickers returned to the game after unsuccessful relief help, ending her night with a career-high 10 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Martin got the scoring going for the Lopes in the top of the second, hammering a 1-0 pitch to straightaway center for her 15th home run, the third most in a GCU season. she passed up the 2022 season of Kristin Fifield, who still holds the top spot at 21 bombs in 2023.
In the top of the sixth, New Mexico struck for two runs to take the lead. Vickers allowed a leadoff single, leading to a pitching change as the New Mexico batting order came around for the third time.
GCU senior right-hander Taryn Batterton took over in relief and just faced two batters. Lobos two-hole hitter Gabrielle Briones launched Batterton's third pitch off the wall in deep center field for an RBI double, despite a leaping effort by center fielder Sydney McCray. Batterton drew a groundout to second base, moving the runner to third in her second at bat.
With a runner on third and an out, Lopes freshman right-hander Abi Jones took over in the circle. She hit her first batter and walked the second to load the bases, prompting Vickers to return and induce two fly outs, including a RBI sacrifice fly to put the Lobos ahead 2-1.
GCU answered in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with no outs for Gonzalez, who drove the first pitch into left field for a sacrifice fly to tie the game entering the seventh.
Vickers struck out the first two batters in the top of the seventh inning before drawing a groundout to first base that first baseman Jada Cooper muffed to allow the inning to continue.
Vickers walked the next batter, leading the Lopes to go to sophomore right-hander Natalie Fritz to get the final out. Fritz hit the first batter she faced to load the bases and then allowed a back-breaking, opposite-field grand slam.
GCU faced a four-run deficit but did not panic. The Lopes had scored eight runs in the seventh inning to beat Colorado State last weekend, when also trailing by four runs in that contest.
First, the Lopes provided the base runners. Junior shortstop Mackenzie Nolan led off the inning with a single, followed by an out, a McCray walk and a bunt single by freshman second baseman Raegan Holtorf.
With the bases loaded, Cooper redeemed her error with a full-count line drive into center field to cut the lead in half to 6-4. However, Holtorf was gunned down at third base on the play for the second out.
With a runner on first and two outs, the Lopes' upset bid continued. Martin, who homered earlier in the game, added a clutch line-drive double just above the outstretched glove of the New Mexico shortstop.
Gonzalez stepped up next with a line-drive double down the right-field line to tie the game at 6-6, marking the fourth straight hit for the Lopes. Shifflett made it five when she dropped a base hit into left-center field for the walk-off winner.
Grand Canyon had not walked a game off since Cooper's walk-off single over Seattle U in April of 2025.
Friday's GCU-Nevada game will stream on the MW Network at noon (Phoenix time).
After a pitchers' duel through five innings, New Mexico hit a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the seventh, seemingly all but sealing up a massive upset for the fourth-seeded Lobos. Despite a 6-2 deficit, top-seeded GCU was unwilling to lose. A five-run, six-hit inning brought the Lopes all the way back to walk off a 7-6 win that broke the hearts of the New Mexico faithful at Christina M. Hixson Softball Park.
No. 25 GCU (49-7) ended the game with consecutive two-out doubles from graduate left fielder Trinity Martin, senior designated player Emily Gonzalez and freshman right fielder Addison Shifflett to advance to a noon Friday semifinal against third-seeded host Nevada, which defeated second-seeded UNLV 13-6 on Thursday.
In March, Grand Canyon swept New Mexico while only allowing three runs in the three-game set in GCU's first-ever Mountain West series. On Thursday, the Lopes shut out the Lobos on two hits through five frames.
This was much in thanks to Oakley Vickers, the sophomore left-hander who earned her second career postseason start Thursday after also starting in the GCU win over Santa Clara in the 2025 Tucson Regional.
Vickers was dominant through five innings, keeping the Lobos scoreless, striking out eight batters and just allowing two hits. At one point, Vickers struck out four straight hitters. After being pulled in the sixth inning, Vickers returned to the game after unsuccessful relief help, ending her night with a career-high 10 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Martin got the scoring going for the Lopes in the top of the second, hammering a 1-0 pitch to straightaway center for her 15th home run, the third most in a GCU season. she passed up the 2022 season of Kristin Fifield, who still holds the top spot at 21 bombs in 2023.
In the top of the sixth, New Mexico struck for two runs to take the lead. Vickers allowed a leadoff single, leading to a pitching change as the New Mexico batting order came around for the third time.
GCU senior right-hander Taryn Batterton took over in relief and just faced two batters. Lobos two-hole hitter Gabrielle Briones launched Batterton's third pitch off the wall in deep center field for an RBI double, despite a leaping effort by center fielder Sydney McCray. Batterton drew a groundout to second base, moving the runner to third in her second at bat.
With a runner on third and an out, Lopes freshman right-hander Abi Jones took over in the circle. She hit her first batter and walked the second to load the bases, prompting Vickers to return and induce two fly outs, including a RBI sacrifice fly to put the Lobos ahead 2-1.
GCU answered in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with no outs for Gonzalez, who drove the first pitch into left field for a sacrifice fly to tie the game entering the seventh.
Vickers struck out the first two batters in the top of the seventh inning before drawing a groundout to first base that first baseman Jada Cooper muffed to allow the inning to continue.
Vickers walked the next batter, leading the Lopes to go to sophomore right-hander Natalie Fritz to get the final out. Fritz hit the first batter she faced to load the bases and then allowed a back-breaking, opposite-field grand slam.
GCU faced a four-run deficit but did not panic. The Lopes had scored eight runs in the seventh inning to beat Colorado State last weekend, when also trailing by four runs in that contest.
First, the Lopes provided the base runners. Junior shortstop Mackenzie Nolan led off the inning with a single, followed by an out, a McCray walk and a bunt single by freshman second baseman Raegan Holtorf.
With the bases loaded, Cooper redeemed her error with a full-count line drive into center field to cut the lead in half to 6-4. However, Holtorf was gunned down at third base on the play for the second out.
With a runner on first and two outs, the Lopes' upset bid continued. Martin, who homered earlier in the game, added a clutch line-drive double just above the outstretched glove of the New Mexico shortstop.
Gonzalez stepped up next with a line-drive double down the right-field line to tie the game at 6-6, marking the fourth straight hit for the Lopes. Shifflett made it five when she dropped a base hit into left-center field for the walk-off winner.
Grand Canyon had not walked a game off since Cooper's walk-off single over Seattle U in April of 2025.
Friday's GCU-Nevada game will stream on the MW Network at noon (Phoenix time).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fritz, Natalie (10-0)
L: BENNINGFIELD, Caitlin (11-11)
Batting:
2B: BRIONES, Gabrielle 1
HR: DELEON, Jessica 1
RBI: BRIONES, Gabrielle 1 ; MACIAS, Melanie 1 ; DELEON, Jessica 4
SF: MACIAS, Melanie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: VASQUEZ-DICKSON, DeNae 2 ; BRIONES, Gabrielle 2 ; WILLIAMS, Allie 1 ; DELEON, Jessica 1
HBP: WILLIAMS, Allie 1 ; DELEON, Jessica 1
Batting:
2B: Martin, Trinity 1 ; Shifflett, Addison 1 ; Gonzalez, Emily 1
HR: Martin, Trinity 1
RBI: Martin, Trinity 1 ; Cooper, Jada 2 ; Shifflett, Addison 1 ; Gonzalez, Emily 3
SF: Gonzalez, Emily 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Martin, Trinity 2 ; Holtorf, Raegan 1 ; Nolan, Mackenzie 1 ; Campbell, Morgan 1 ; Gonzalez, Emily 1 ; McCray, Sydney 1
Players Mentioned
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IF
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RHP
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UTIL
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INF
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RHP
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OF
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OF
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IF
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OF
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LHP
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