Courtesy of Grand Canyon Athletics
SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – Grand Canyon needed ten innings to get its 23rd win to start the season, beating Wisconsin 2-1.
Down to the final strike in the seventh inning, trailing 1-0, junior shortstop Mackenzie Nolan came through with a triple down the right field line to even the score at one.
Nolan had been out the previous two and a half weeks with a lower body injury, returning to action in San Diego. She pinch hit in the fifth inning, grabbing the Lopes first hit of the entire game on the first pitch.
She stayed in the game at shortstop and it worked out well in GCU’s favor. With a runner on third base, Nolan’s triple kept the undefeated season alive one day longer.
In the eighth inning and for all of extra innings, ITB (International Tie-Breaker) was in effect with a runner starting on second base to start each inning.
In the top half of the eighth, GCU pinch hit freshman Izzy Rueda in hopes of a sacrifice bunt. Her efforts came up short as she bunted foul with two strikes for out number one.
Sydney McCray was up to bat next, lacing a hard ground ball right to shortstop for out number two, keeping Haley Wilkinson at second base. Raegan Holtorf stepped to the plate next, hitting a ball to shortstop that she was able to beat out at first base. However, Wilkinson who quickly rounded third was sent home at an attempt to take the lead. Wisconsin was ready, firing the ball home in time for the third out.
In the bottom of the eighth, Oakley Vickers who had finished out the seventh inning, intentionally put the first batter on. The very next pitch with runners on first and second, Vickers pitched out again as Wisconsin attempted a bunt. Catcher Tinley Lucas immediately fired the ball to second base where center fielder Sydney McCray snuck up behind the Badger runner at second. She received the ball and tagged the runner out for an apparent first out. Wisconsin challenged the call, asking for obstruction on McCray who caught the ball in the baseline.
The challenge went in their favor, despite the runner being out by a country mile, keeping the runners on base safely. The very next pitch, Vickers hit the batter in the helmet as she attempted to lay a bunt down. Despite the apparent bunt attempt, the umpires decided the batter never went around for a full swing and Wisconsin had the bases loaded.
Junior Maggie Place entered the game with no outs in need of a miracle. Place provided it, getting the first batter out via pop out at first base. GCU had five infielders, so Shifflett the everyday right fielder, was at first base and made the play.
The next batter popped another ball up to shallow right field. Holtorf ran back and made the play and had to unexpectedly fire the ball home as the Wisconsin runner on third base made a dash home for the win. Holtorf’s ball was money, as Lucas placed the tag to force a ninth inning.
In the ninth, another freshman this time McKinsey Beyer, was unable to get a bunt down. Satcher pinch hit, hitting a hard line drive to right field for out number two. Shifflett then popped out in foul territory.
Maggie Place, the eventual winner of the contest, went right back to work in the ninth frame. Other than two intentional walks, Place ordered up a bunt out, a flyout to shallow center and a groundout to short.
The tenth inning finally saw the Lopes break through. After a walk, bunt popout and groundout to second base, Ellie Pond stepped up to the plate.
Pond worked a 1-2 count and the next pitch went wild, bouncing away from the catcher, allowing Shifflett to sprint home easily for the game-winning run.
With a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the tenth, the defensive theatrics continued. After a successful sacrifice bunt brought the runner on second to third, there was just one out. Tinley Lucas caught Wisconsin’s Danielle Lucy getting a little too far down the line, back-dooring her at third base for out two. The final out was a ground ball to shortstop, completing three innings of shutout ball in extras for Place.
Grand Canyon only scratched across four hits the entire ten-inning classic, as Wisconsin’s Shelby Jacobsen dominated in the circle.
The Lopes had not been shutout through three innings all season, finally scoring one in the seventh, Thursday afternoon.
Grand Canyon matched its program-best 23-game win streak from last season with the win, as the Lopes now sit at 23-0. They are 3-0 on the year vs. the Big Ten, sweeping the Badgers with a pair of wins.
The Lopes have a chance to set a new program record Friday as they take on Notre Dame at 12:30 p.m. (Phoenix time).
They follow the Notre Dame game up with a true road contest at San Diego at 5:30 p.m. (Phoenix time).
