LAS CRUCES, N.M. – After taking game one on Friday evening, NM State was held in check on Saturday afternoon in which they could only muster seven combined runs. Meanwhile, the Grand Canyon offense totaled 34 runs across a pair of contests. In game one, the Aggies fell 13-4 before dropping game two, 21-3.
 
In Saturday's opener, Sophomore Laurali Patane got the ball to start while Ariel Thompson took the lead for Grand Canyon. Patane only recorded one out as De La Torre got the majority of the work – going 4.1 innings with one strikeout.
 
GAME ONE
 
FIRST INNING
Game one of the doubleheader started just like the game on Friday night started, with Grand Canyon loading the bases and taking out the Aggies starter before you could blink. Although, this time instead of Felicia De La Torre being taken out of the game, she was the one coming in to save the Freshman starter, Laurali Patani. The Lopes scored five runs with the bases loaded via a walk, two hit by pitches, and two more walks. De La Torre was doing her best to get out of the mess she inherited, but this GCU lineup was really making her work. The Lopes got two more runs on a single that got past Burton, scoring the runners from second and third. That would be all the runs that would cross for GCU in the inning as De La Torre was able to stop the bleeding. The score was 7-0. 
 
Just like last night, it did not take long for the Aggies to answer back. They were able to get their own rally going after Ramsey Lopez and Jillian Taylor lead off the inning with a walk and a single. Maya Martinez then reached on a fielding error by the GCU first baseman scoring Lopez and Taylor cutting the GCU lead to 7-2. Kayla Bowen followed with an opposite field single down the right field line bringing in Taylor from second making the score 7-3. Bowen has now hit safely in all but five games this season. After two quick outs, Melika Ofoia was then hit by a pitch loading the bases and bringing the tying run to the plate. Gabby Aragon then reached on an error by the shortstop bringing in Kayla Bowen from third, cutting the Aggie deficit to three. The score was now 7-4. 
 
SECOND INNING
De La Torre was back on the mound for the second. Not as many GCU hitters reached base this time around but they were able to get two hits, including a home run Denae Chatman to center field which exited the lead back to four for the lopes. GCU's Savannah Tourville thought she launched the second home run of the inning, but the ball died right in front of the wall allowing Jillian Taylor to make the catch sending the Aggies back to the bat rack. 
 
Not too much action for the Aggies offense this inning. Taylor was able to reach via walk but was later caught trying to steal second. Kayla Bowen also singled in the inning marking her second of the day. This would be all the action in the bottom of the inning as the score remained 8-4, GCU. 
 
THIRD INNING 
The first two batters for Grand Canyon reached base safely via a walk and a single. Two batters later, the bases were loaded again for the Lopes after De La Torre hit Stephanie Reed with the pitch, the fourth HBP for Aggie pitchers in the game. Chatman and then Koeltzow each followed with singles, and the Lopes were back to moving station-to-station. The score was now 10-4. 
 
The bottom of the inning was quiet once again for the Aggies as they were sat down in order. 
 
FOURTH INNING
Only one base runner was able to reach for GCU in the top of the fourth. However, a great heads-up play from Maya Martinez to catch the line drive and step on the second base bag before the runner could get back to tag, ended the inning, keeping the lopes off the board. 
 
The first two batters went down easily for the Aggies, but Taylor and Martinez were able to reach base on back-to-back errors by the Lopes. Taylor tried to score on the second error but was cut off at the plate ending the inning, keeping the Aggies off the board once again. GCU still led 10-4
 
FIFTH INNING
The lopes would score three more runs in the fifth after Dunckel doubled and later scored on a wild pitch. Koeltzow then walked and scored on the Home run by the El Paso native, Kristin Fifield, giving the Lopes the 13-4 lead, which ultimately would be the final score for game one. 
 
 
GAME TWO
The Aggies couldn't get much going in the second game their counterpart scored the most runs they have all season long to earn the series win. Grand Canyon tallied 21 runs in the second matchup of the day to defeat NM State 21-3.
 
Jordin King got the start for the Aggies as she went 2.2 innings while Grand Canyon starter Jacie Hambrick went 4.0 in the circle and allowed four hits and struck out three Aggie batters on the way to collecting the win.
 
Despite struggling offensively, the Aggies were paced by Ramsay Lopez in the second game as she went 2-for-2 at the plate with a home run. Meanwhile, Jillian Taylor also hit a home run to move her season total to three bombs and finish the game as one of only three Aggies to record a hit.
 
FIRST INNING
The Aggies found themselves in trouble early as leadoff hitter Gianna Nicoletti got on base via a single up the middle on the fifth pitch of the game. Nicoletti, who entered the game ranked fourth in the nation in stolen bases, proceeded to steal second and then force an errant throw during her attempt to steal third, allowing her to score the first run of the second game.
 
Later in the inning, Kinsey Koeltzow then hit an infield single with a pair of runners on base to bring in another run for the Lopes. A Kristin Fifield sacrifice fly scored the third GCU run of the first inning. Grand Canyon would add one more to its total as Hannah Burnett singled through the right side to bring around Koeltzow.
 
It took only one at-bat for the Aggies to put a run on the board as Ramsay Lopez hit her eighth home run of the season when she belted one over the wall in right center. However, GCU pitcher Jacie Hambrick would retire the next three Aggie batters to leave the Aggies behind 4-1 after one.
 
SECOND INNING
The Lopes continued to pile on the runs in the second as leadoff hitter Macee Barnes hit a solo home run to left center. Denae Chatman would later single to bring across run number six for the visitors. The next at-bat would also result in added runs for Grand Canyon as Koeltzow doubled to right center to bring across Stephanie Reed and Chatman. The hole then grew deeper when Fifield hit a two-run home run to right field – giving the Lopes a 10-1 advantage. The Lopes would add one more before the top half closed with the Lopes ahead by 10 runs.
 
THIRD INNING
After the Aggies were unable to reach base in the second inning, GCU's Nicoletti scored in similar fashion to how she crossed the plate in the first inning. Nicoletti initially reached first thanks to a single before stealing second and reaching third on an error and scoring on a wild pitch. Reed also hit a two-run home run to push the Lope lead to 13 runs as the scoreboard read 14-1 entering the bottom half of the inning.
 
NM State did manage to have its highest-scoring run of the day since the first inning of the first game. After Ramsay Lopez reached base on a single following a seven-pitch at-bat, Jillian Taylor connected on a swing that sent the pitch over the center-field wall and pushed the Aggie run total to three in the third game of the opening WAC series.
 
FOURTH INNING
Both Savannah Tourville and Gianna Nicoletti reached base on walks before Katelyn Dunckel hit a two-run home run to increase the Grand Canyon lead to 14 runs.
 
Paige Knight was the only Aggie to get aboard in the fourth as she singled through the left side. However, the Aggie half of the inning would end scoreless.
 
FIFTH INNING
The Lopes added some insurance runs in the top of the fifth inning as balls put in play by Fifield, Aguilar-Beaucage, and Thompson and an Aggie defensive error allowed four more Grand Canyon runs to cross the plate.
 
Lopez was able to reach first for the third time in the second game, however, the Aggies would eventually reach the final out without doing any additional damage.
 
UP NEXT
The Aggies will now turn their attention to a non-conference bout with New Mexico that is set to take place on Tuesday, March 22, with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. This will be the third time that the Aggies square off with the Lobos this season.