Grand Canyon’s Dominant Victory Over Saint Joseph’s: A Recap of the Thrilling Match

Grand Canyon University (GCU) softball team delivered an impressive performance against Saint Joseph’s, winning decisively with an 8-0 score in just five innings at GCU Softball Stadium. With this victory, GCU’s record improves to 17-3.

Eight of the nine starters contributed hits, demonstrating the team’s strong batting. Notably, sophomore catcher Tinley Lucas didn’t hit but walked three times, showcasing her patience at the plate.

The scoring began in the first inning when Jada Cooper, the designated player, secured an RBI single. Fresh off a week where she hit three home runs and earned the title of WAC Player of the Week, Cooper continued her strong play by adding an RBI double in the second inning.

The highlight of the game came during the second inning when GCU scored five runs, thanks to a string of six consecutive two-out hits. Freshman right fielder Willa Ford started the hitting surge with her first collegiate RBI from a double. This was followed by sophomore Savannah Kirk’s RBI single, who ended the game with a batting average of .507 after hitting 2 for 3.

Graduate center fielder Makaiya Gomez and junior first baseman Emily Gonzalez also contributed with singles, setting up Cooper’s double. Finally, senior left fielder Mia Weckle added to the hit streak with another single, and Lovey Kepa’a, the senior third baseman, capped the inning with an RBI double, extending the lead to 8-0 in the fourth inning.

In the circle, senior Meghan Golden demonstrated dominance, striking out four batters and only allowing one hit that resulted from a miscommunication on defense. With this performance, Golden improved her record to 6-0 and extended her scoreless inning streak to 26 1/3 innings.

Freshman Oakley Vickers stepped in for the fifth inning and closed out the game by striking out two batters. This victory marks GCU’s fifth consecutive win, and the Lopes will take on Penn next at 7:30 PM on March 7, 2025.