Courtesy of Grand Canyon Athletics
Grand Canyon lost its first series of the season, dropping Saturday’s rubber match 4-3 to Nevada at GCU Softball Stadium.
Each game of the series finished with a final score of 4-3, giving Mountain West fans a lot to look forward to if the Lopes (37-4, 10-2 MW) and Wolf Pack (26-13, 8-4 MW) meet again in the MW Championships in Reno in May.
It was a pitchers’ duel through four quick innings Saturday, as the score sat at 0-0. GCU starting pitcher Natalie Fritz went four scoreless innings in her ninth start of the season. She was pulled after earning another two outs in the fifth. Fritz finished with just a hit and an unearned run to her name.
Lopes freshman Abi Jones entered, allowing two consecutive RBI singles up the middle. Both runs went unearned as the first run across reached via fielding error by shortstop Haley Wilkinson. The next run advanced home after originally holding at third, before senior center fielder Sydney McCray’s throw was misplayed by junior catcher Tinley Lucas.
In the bottom of the fifth, GCU swiftly answered. McCray and junior first baseman Jada Cooper both walked, bringing up clean-up hitter Trinity Martin with two on and one out. The graduate left fielder continued her heat surge at the plate, hammering a three-run shot to center to give the Lopes a 3-2 lead. Martin leads the team in homers with 12 and has 38 RBIs, which also ties Cooper for the team lead.
Nevada was not done. In the top of the sixth, the Wolf Pack immediately reclaimed the lead. After a walk and two singles, the Lopes went to senior right-hander Taryn Batterton in the circle. Batterton got two ground balls, the first of which went right at Cooper at first base for her to turn and fire home for a fielder’s choice out. The next was a hard groundball through the middle that scored two runs.
McCray yet again delivered a ball on line to Lucas at home plate to nearly preserve a tie, but Nevada’s Haylee Engelbrecht slid in just safely for the game-winning run.
The sixth and seventh innings provided a multitude of chances to tie and take the lead. GCU left 11 runners on base throughout the contest, with five coming in the last two innings.
Lucas singled to center to the start the sixth before being replaced by freshman pinch-runner Morgan Campbell, who moved to second base on junior Mackenzie Nolan’s sacrifice bunt. An out and a walk later, runners were on first and second for freshman second baseman Raegan Holtorf with two outs.
Holtorf clutched up, drilling a single into right field on the ninth pitch of the at bat. However, Wolf Pack right fielder Matlyn Leetch fired the ball home to get Campbell at home to end the inning, a similar scene to Friday night’s game-winning defensive play at home plate.
In the seventh, Cooper and Martin were each hit by a pitch to begin the inning. After a Gonzalez strikeout, freshman Addison Shifflett walked to load the bases.
Another clutch hit was not quite in store for GCU. Lucas struck out and Nolan ripped a grounder up the middle that Nevada second baseman Madison Clark dived to keep the ball in the infield and flipped the ball to second base for the force out.
Nevada has won all four of its conference series to start the season, taking two out of three games each time. GCU dropped its first two games in the MW over the last two days, so the Lopes still hold a two-game lead on the Wolf Pack.
Grand Canyon heads to Fresno State for a Wednesday doubleheader before returning home to host Boise State for Friday and Saturday games.
Friday night’s game against Boise State will be the annual Faith and Family Night, which is expected to draw a great crowd. Fans are encouraged to join a postgame prayer-and-worship set on the GCU Softball Stadium field.
