The Lopes did that with a five-run first inning on Saturday night but could not hold the lead to extend their season. Ole Miss, the Los Angeles Regional’s No. 2 seed and No. 26 team in NCAA Ratings Percentage Index, ended the Lopes’ season with nine unanswered runs for a 9-5 Rebels win at Easton Stadium.
After spending the NCAA tournament in the spotlights of national television and power opponents, the GCU postseason experience ended Saturday nightin the dim, dirt area beyond the left-field wall and beneath the pine trees. One last time, these Lopes gathered arm in arm for another dose of first-year head coach Shannon Hays’ positive perspective and prayer.
“I think we’ve made a big step forward here at Grand Canyon,” Hays said moments later of a team that exceeded his expectations. “All the credit to them. We’ve got great leadership and I feel like we’re just going to keep getting better and better. I’m very thankful for this group of girls. I’m proud of them and excited for our future.”
In a game pitting 39-win teams, the Rebels tied the game in the fifth inning and took the lead with a four-run seventh inning that put a wrap on the WAC champions’ winningest Division I season.
Lopes junior designated player Hannah Burnett singled and stole second before starting the scoring on junior right fielder Kristin Fifield’s single to right. After she moved to second on the throw, graduate first baseman Denae Chatman knocked her home with a full-court single to left field.
GCU (39-16) kept worked Ole Miss senior left-hander Anna Borgen for 36 first-inning pitches by the time junior catcher Kinsey Koeltzow singled and graduate center fielder Stephanie Reed hammered a three-run home run inside the left-field foul pole for a 5-0 lead. Reed had homered once previously this season.
“My role has been to get on and hit where I can, hit singles and that’s what I was trying to do,” said Reed, who hit .309 with 30 RBIs. “I felt really locked in and I was seeing the ball really well. It was a deep count and it was just kind of what happened, but I was excited to do that for my team.”
Lopes junior starting pitcher Ariel Thompson loaded the bases in each of the first two innings but only allowed one run before facing the minimum in the third and fourth innings. When the first four Ole Miss batters reached base in the fifth inning, sophomore right-hander Kaila Eastburn entered for two outs before a walk and an error tied the game at 5-5.
GCU sophomore right-hander Jacie Hambrick relieved Eastburn to end the fifth-inning threat and retired Ole Miss in the sixth inning despite issuing the eighth and ninth staff walks to the Rebels (40-18). The Lopes walked 10 UCLA batters in four innings pitched on Friday.
Rebels senior right-handed pitcher Savannah Diedrich recorded the final 10 outs, six of which came by strikeout, with one hit allowed. GCU had struck out once against UCLA on Friday and had not struck out on Saturday until Diedrich entered for the fourth inning’s final out.
Ole Miss did a good job of switching up pitching on us,” Hays said. “They showed us a lefty spin girl early and we had some good success. Then they went with the hard downball girl (Catelyn Riley). Right when we were really making some progress, Jamie (Trachsel) made a good move and brought in their up girl (Diedrich) and it worked for them.”
The Lopes were playing with fire when Ole Miss left 11 runners on base in the first six innings, but the Rebels capitalized in the seventh off an infield hit and an error.
After a sacrifice bunt, Ole Miss top hitter Bre Roper roped a two-run, tiebreaking double and senior first baseman Sydney Gutierrez added another two-run double for a 9-5 lead. GCU senior right-hander Ryan Denhart came in to close the inning and tossed a career-ending strikeout.
Burnett singled in the seventh inning to reach bases for the fourth time in four tries, but the Lopes’ rally hopes ended there for the NCAA tournament team with the greatest win increase (20) over last season.
“I’m so thankful,” Reed said of her graduate transfer season at GCU after playing at Utah State. “Obviously, it’s never easy to come out and play your last game, especially after five years of collegiate softball. But this team has been the coolest opportunity to come and play with them.
“We were all excited from the very beginning. Playing the year with them, they taught me so much. They’re just the most awesome team to play with. Being able to end my career with this team has been all I could ask for.”
Five players in GCU’s staring lineup and three of the four pitchers used Saturday will be returning for the Lopes next season.
Burnett went 7 for 16 in the postseason to finish with .360 hitting on the season. Since the WAC Tournament championship win, junior second baseman Macee Barnes went 5 for 8 at the plate. Koeltzow played great defensive games behind the plate and ended the season at .335 after going 5 for 11 in the WAC Tournament championship round games and tNCAA tournament games.
“We’re ready to get back out there,” Koeltzow said. “Back on the field all together, I’m looking forward to that. And with people coming in, we’re going to be really strong. We’re going to get back after it, compete, win the WAC again and come back and compete and have an even better outcome.”
Press Release courtesy of Grand Canyon University Athletics – Paul Coro
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