Completed Event: Softball at San Diego State on April 19, 2026 , Loss , 1, to, 9 , (5 inn.)
Softball
at San Diego State
L 1-9
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, May 8
Reno, Nev.
12 p.m.
Grand Canyon
49-8
10
vs
14
(3) Nevada
39-18
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| Grand Canyon | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 1 |
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Nevada outpowers GCU; Lopes face must-win tilt
5/8/2026 4:21:00 PM | Softball, Paul Coro
Grand Canyon gets 4 home runs but allows most runs of Hays' 5-year tenure
RENO, Nev. – Even four home runs and the second-highest run total against Nevada this season was not enough to keep Grand Canyon in the Mountain West Championship's winner's bracket Friday.
The offense for third-seeded Nevada, the tournament host, kept coming like a never-ending train to defeat top-seeded GCU 14-10, the most runs scored on the Lopes in head coach Shanon Hays' five seasons.
The teams exchanged blows for the first hour, resulting in a 6-4 GCU lead before Nevada senior right-hander Hailey McClean pitched a stretch in which she struck out 11 of 15 GCU batters with an effective change-up.
The conference tournament loss sends the 25th-ranked Lopes (49-9) to a 6 p.m. elimination game Friday against the winner of the afternoon elimination game between No. 2 seed UNLV and No. 4 seed New Mexico. If GCU wins that game, it would need to beat Nevada twice Saturday to claim the Mountain West Championship title and an automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
The Wolf Pack (39-18) used 14 hits, including three home runs, and five walks to score 14 runs against a Lopes team that entered the tournament with the nation's ninth-best ERA (2.26). Hays was ejected in the bottom of the fourth inning for arguing balls and strikes with the umpire.
"It's unlike our pitchers," said GCU assistant coach Hunter Hays, who served as acting head coach. "Normally, we do a great job of getting ahead. We just didn't do that today. I'm excited to have another crack at them tomorrow."
Each team started the offense-laden day on a first-inning home run, with the Lopes round-tripper coming on senior center fielder Sydney McCray's second inside-the-park version of the season.
A GCU fielding error and a popped-up bunt that fell fortunately for Nevada set up a second-inning chance for Wolf Pack sophomore Rylie Haith to smack a three-run home run. Her third home run of the season came on a two-out, full-count pitch from Lopes sophomore starter Natalie Fritz.
Nevada led 4-1, but GCU immediately answered again with junior shortstop Mackenzie Nolan, who later left the game hurt, doubling between walks to sophomore catcher Tinley Lucas and McCray. With the bases loaded, the Lopes wisely inserted junior Alina Satcher and she delivered a grand slam – her fourth pinch-hit home run of the season and seventh of her career.
"Kudos to Alina," Hunter Hays said. "She's been swinging the bat great all week in batting practice. We've always got a lot of confidence in her. We think she's going to go take a great hack every time she steps to the plate."
But Nevada just kept coming. In the third inning, the Wolf Pack used a pair of inning-opening walks from GCU freshman Abi Jones to get started. The infield single that hurt Nolan on a diving attempt scored one run before Nevada sophomore pitcher Talia Tretton homered to retake the lead at 8-6.
In the fourth, Wolf Pack freshman Katelyn Wetteland fouled off five consecutive pitches before singling off sophomore left-hander Oakley Vickers. Junior right-hander Maggie Place replaced Vickers with a 2-2 count on Nevada star Hanna Di Genova, who already had hit her 26th home run of the season in the first inning. She singled and a bad-luck infield single was followed by a bases-loaded walk and Wolf Pack senior Matelyn Leetch's bases-clearing triple for a 12-6 lead.
Meanwhile, McLean was picking up momentum in the circle. After an RBI single by GCU designated player Emily Gonzalez for the 6-4, second-inning lead, McLean did not surrender another hit to the Lopes until the seventh inning.
McLean had struck out five consecutive batters and been spotted a 14-6 lead when GCU tried to pull off another seventh-inning miracle, like Thursday's five-run seventh to beat New Mexico. Graduate left fielder Trinity Martin and freshman right fielder Addison Shifflett lifted home runs to center field, pairing the wind with their power. It was Martin's team-leading 16th home run of the season and Shifflett's eighth.
GCU had cut the lead to 14-10 wit no outs, but McLean retired three Lopes in a row, including her 12th and 13th strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of relief.
"We did a good job throughout the game of competing and battling," Hunter Hays said. "If we keep swinging the bat like that, good things will happen.
"The one thing I can say about our team is we compete. We're going to play loose and have fun, hopefully."
The offense for third-seeded Nevada, the tournament host, kept coming like a never-ending train to defeat top-seeded GCU 14-10, the most runs scored on the Lopes in head coach Shanon Hays' five seasons.
The teams exchanged blows for the first hour, resulting in a 6-4 GCU lead before Nevada senior right-hander Hailey McClean pitched a stretch in which she struck out 11 of 15 GCU batters with an effective change-up.
The conference tournament loss sends the 25th-ranked Lopes (49-9) to a 6 p.m. elimination game Friday against the winner of the afternoon elimination game between No. 2 seed UNLV and No. 4 seed New Mexico. If GCU wins that game, it would need to beat Nevada twice Saturday to claim the Mountain West Championship title and an automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
The Wolf Pack (39-18) used 14 hits, including three home runs, and five walks to score 14 runs against a Lopes team that entered the tournament with the nation's ninth-best ERA (2.26). Hays was ejected in the bottom of the fourth inning for arguing balls and strikes with the umpire.
"It's unlike our pitchers," said GCU assistant coach Hunter Hays, who served as acting head coach. "Normally, we do a great job of getting ahead. We just didn't do that today. I'm excited to have another crack at them tomorrow."
Each team started the offense-laden day on a first-inning home run, with the Lopes round-tripper coming on senior center fielder Sydney McCray's second inside-the-park version of the season.
A GCU fielding error and a popped-up bunt that fell fortunately for Nevada set up a second-inning chance for Wolf Pack sophomore Rylie Haith to smack a three-run home run. Her third home run of the season came on a two-out, full-count pitch from Lopes sophomore starter Natalie Fritz.
Nevada led 4-1, but GCU immediately answered again with junior shortstop Mackenzie Nolan, who later left the game hurt, doubling between walks to sophomore catcher Tinley Lucas and McCray. With the bases loaded, the Lopes wisely inserted junior Alina Satcher and she delivered a grand slam – her fourth pinch-hit home run of the season and seventh of her career.
"Kudos to Alina," Hunter Hays said. "She's been swinging the bat great all week in batting practice. We've always got a lot of confidence in her. We think she's going to go take a great hack every time she steps to the plate."
But Nevada just kept coming. In the third inning, the Wolf Pack used a pair of inning-opening walks from GCU freshman Abi Jones to get started. The infield single that hurt Nolan on a diving attempt scored one run before Nevada sophomore pitcher Talia Tretton homered to retake the lead at 8-6.
In the fourth, Wolf Pack freshman Katelyn Wetteland fouled off five consecutive pitches before singling off sophomore left-hander Oakley Vickers. Junior right-hander Maggie Place replaced Vickers with a 2-2 count on Nevada star Hanna Di Genova, who already had hit her 26th home run of the season in the first inning. She singled and a bad-luck infield single was followed by a bases-loaded walk and Wolf Pack senior Matelyn Leetch's bases-clearing triple for a 12-6 lead.
Meanwhile, McLean was picking up momentum in the circle. After an RBI single by GCU designated player Emily Gonzalez for the 6-4, second-inning lead, McLean did not surrender another hit to the Lopes until the seventh inning.
McLean had struck out five consecutive batters and been spotted a 14-6 lead when GCU tried to pull off another seventh-inning miracle, like Thursday's five-run seventh to beat New Mexico. Graduate left fielder Trinity Martin and freshman right fielder Addison Shifflett lifted home runs to center field, pairing the wind with their power. It was Martin's team-leading 16th home run of the season and Shifflett's eighth.
GCU had cut the lead to 14-10 wit no outs, but McLean retired three Lopes in a row, including her 12th and 13th strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of relief.
"We did a good job throughout the game of competing and battling," Hunter Hays said. "If we keep swinging the bat like that, good things will happen.
"The one thing I can say about our team is we compete. We're going to play loose and have fun, hopefully."
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McLean, Hailey (11-4)
L: Jones, Abi (9-3)
Batting:
2B: Wetteland, Katelyn 1
3B: Leetch, Matlyn 1
HR: Di Genova, Hannah 1 ; Tretton, Talia 1 ; Haith, Rylie 1
RBI: Engelbrecht, Haylee 1 ; O'Gorman, Lexi 1 ; Di Genova, Hannah 2 ; Tretton, Talia 4 ; Haith, Rylie 3 ; Leetch, Matlyn 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Engelbrecht, Haylee 3 ; O'Gorman, Lexi 1 ; Di Genova, Hannah 3 ; Tretton, Talia 2 ; Haith, Rylie 1 ; Wetteland, Katelyn 3 ; Leetch, Matlyn 1
CS: O'Gorman, Lexi 1
Batting:
2B: Nolan, Mackenzie 1
HR: Martin, Trinity 1 ; Shifflett, Addison 1 ; Satcher, Alina 1 ; McCray, Sydney 1
RBI: Martin, Trinity 2 ; Shifflett, Addison 2 ; Gonzalez, Emily 1 ; Satcher, Alina 4 ; McCray, Sydney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Martin, Trinity 1 ; Nolan, Mackenzie 1 ; Rueda, Izzy 1 ; Williams, Briah 1 ; Campbell, Morgan 1 ; Cooper, Jada 1 ; Shifflett, Addison 1 ; Satcher, Alina 1 ; McCray, Sydney 2
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
LHP
/ SoftballGCU stages FIVE-RUN COMEBACK in 7th 😱
Friday, May 08
Sydney McCray Media Availability | 5.4.26
Monday, May 04
Emily Gonzalez Media Availability | 5.4.26
Monday, May 04
Jada Cooper Media Availability | 5.4.26
Monday, May 04