After defeating Arizona State in a series over the weekend, the Arizona softball team hosted a red-hot Grand Canyon team Tuesday with the opportunity to have the upper hand against the two other in-state programs.
Arizona owns the state after the 9-5 win, handing Grand Canyon only its second loss 35 games into the season.
Arizona (24-8) took care of business against the Lopes (33-2) just like the Wildcats did against Arizona State at Hillenbrand Stadium during the weekend when they won two out of three games.
“We were all about Grand Canyon and they’re a very good team … they win a lot of games for a reason,” Arizona coach Catilin Lowe said. “We were solely focused on executing our game plan against a very good pitching staff and against really good hitters.”
It sure seemed that way offensively amassing 13 hits and only striking out four times in a game that went the distance.
Big 12 Freshman of the Week Kez Lucas kept it going with three hits, an RBI and a score, followed by Jenna Sniffen with the same stat line. Sydney Stewart also did well at the plate with two hits, but Sereniti Trice showed her power with a home run on an opposite-field slap shot – the first home run of her collegiate career.
“I think my senior year of high school,” Trice said, reflecting on the last time she knocked one out of the park. “I haven’t been feeling my swing as of lately. I saw a pitch and I just kind of put a swing on it.”
GCU got on the board with a Jada Cooper swing that took Rylie Holder‘s pitch to deep left field, bringing in Sydney McCray from second to open the scoring.
The Wildcats came right back to tie it, loading the bases before the Lopes committed an error on a pop up by Emma Kavanagh that allowed Trice and Stewart to score.
Arizona kept the bats hot scoring three runs – two on the Trice home run that brought in Addison Duke.
The Wildcats didn’t slow down in the fourth inning, getting four more scores across – going small ball with three singles from Sniffen, Lucas and Duke before Regan Shockey hit a single to score Salpointe alum Molli Daley, who was pinch running for Sniffen.
Trice got Lucas across with on an RBI groundout before the inning ended.
Lucas came back in the fourth inning and knocked in Jenkins, giving the Wildcats a six-run lead.
The Lopes struck back, scoring three in the sixth starting with back-to-back walks, followed by a double by Mackenzie Nolan that scored Briah Williams, who was pinchrunning for Emily Gonzales.
McCray kept the line moving with an RBI single scoring Alina Satcher, before a throwing error by Lucas allowed Nolan to score from third, cutting the lead to three.
An RBI single from Sniffen got Kiki Escobar across to put Arizona ahead 9-5.
“They put up runs we have to answer back,” Lowe said on the vibe after a big sixth inning from GCU. “It was nice to score in the bottom of the sixth just to not sit back and wait for the seventh to play defense and hold them, but to really execute.”
Arizona will face Baylor in a series that starts Friday at 6 p.m. at Hillenbrand Stadium.
“They’ve had a really good season,” Lowe said of Baylor. “We’re really excited to for the opportunity to set a tone this weekend.”
Arizona is 6-3 in the Big 12 and Baylor is 5-1 with an overall record of 21-9.
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