Win sets up MW title game vs. Nevada

Saturday, May 9

Reno, NV

12 p.m.

Grand Canyon

51-8

(3) Nevada

39-19

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Nevada	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
Grand Canyon	0	2	0	0	0	1	X	3	5	1

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

5/9/2026 1:45:00 PM | Softball, Paul Coro

Box Score

Vickers throws complete-game shutout to set up rematch for MW Championship

By: Paul Coro

RENO, Nev. – On the stretngth of sophomore pitch Oakley Vickers' left arm, Grand Canyon exacted revenge and moved within a win of the Mountain West Championship title Saturday.

After being pushed to the elimination bracket by host Nevada on Friday, GCU battled back into the championship round and beat the Wolf Pack 3-0 to set up a title game for the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
Oakley Vickers

Vickers tamed the Nevada bats that had scored a GCU opponent season high of 14 runs a day earlier. The native of Tuttle, Oklahoma, continued her brilliant tournament by throwing her first career complete game, a 5-hitter that was the Lopes' 15th shutout of the season.

This one extended GCU's tournament life and helped it record another Quad 1 victory in its 51-8 season.

The Lopes supplied all the sport Vickers needed in the second inning, which graduate left fielder Trinity Martin and senior designated player Emily Gonzalez started with back-to-back singles. With Martin on third base, GCU freshman right fielder Addison Shifflett used a RBI sacrifice fly to add to her Mountain West Championship record with her 10th tournament RBI.

Lopes junior catcher Tinley Lucas, who played a brilliant defensive game, immediately pushed the lead to 2-0 when she pulled a RBI double to left field for her first tournament hit.

Meanwhile, after relieving strongly to get the save against New Mexico on Friday night, Vickers only faced two threats wtih runners in scoring position and recorded six strikeouts against Nevada's potent offense.

When Nevada recorded its first hit to open the top of the fourth, Vickers hit the next batter before fielding a fielder's choice and stranding the Wolf Pack runners at second and third with two pop-ups.

Nevada's infield singles in the fifth and sixth innings did not amount to a score, and the Lopes padded the lead in the botoom of the sixth with an insurance run. GCU sophomore first baseman Jada Cooper drew a walk, and sophomore pinch runner Briah Williams moved to third on a steal and Martin's deep fly ball. Wiht two outs, Shiflett extended her tournament RBI record again with a sharp single to center for a 3-0 lead and her 11th RBI of the Mountain West Championship.

The Wolf Pack summoned a seventh-inning threat with a leadoff double and a two-out bunt single, but Vickers shut the door for her 14th wins of the season with a game-ending fly out to center fielder Sydney McCray.

The Mountain West Championship title game between GCU and Nevada at the Wolf Pack's Christina M. Hixson Softball Park will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The game will be streamed on Mountain West Network.