PHOENIX – Utah Valley University senior Brittney Vansway belted out two home runs and drive home a total of four runs on the day, but it wasn't enough as the Wolverines dropped both games of a Western Athletic Conference doubleheader to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix on Friday evening by scores of 8-3 and 6-3.
 
UVU falls to 12-19 on the season and 4-7 in WAC play with the setbacks, while GCU improves to 33-14 overall and 8-3 in league play.
 
GAME ONE
The Wolverines jumped out to an early lead in the opening game thanks to a first-inning home run from senior Brittney Vansway. Vansway's big fly gave UVU an early 2-0 lead as it drove home Caragh Morris who had previously doubled in the frame.
 
The Antelopes wasted little time answering back, however, as they scored two runs in the last of the first to tie the score at 2-2. Following a walk and a double, GCU's Dominique Gonzalez scored the first run of the game for the Lopes on an illegal pitch. Camree Wartman then immediately followed by driving in the tying run via an infield hit.
 
The score remained all knotted up at 2-2 until the bottom of the fourth when GCU scored four runs to take a 6-2 lead. Madelyn Dowdle, Kendsey Hill, Laynee Gomez and Gonzalez all drove in runs for the Lopes in the frame to give GCU a four-run advantage.    
 
In the top of the fifth, Vansway then blasted out her second home run of the game to cut the deficit in half at 6-3. The solo shot marked Vansway's second round tripper of the game and her career-best 10th homer of the season.
 
Grand Canyon then put the game away in the sixth by tacking on a pair of insurance runs to extend its lead to 8-3.
 
UVU's Bailey Moore (1-8) was tagged with the loss after giving up six earned runs in 3.1 innings of work, while GCU's Taylor Nowlin earned her 18th victory of the season (18-7) after allowing just three runs en route to earning the complete-game victory.
 
Vansway led UVU at the plate by going 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs, while Morris too collected two hits for UVU by going 2-for-4 with a run scored.
 
GAME TWO
Utah Valley once again jumped out to an early lead in the nightcap of the twin bill, as it scored a run in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead. Following singles from Morris and Lyndsay Steverson, Taleigh Williams drove Morris home via an RBI double to left-center to give the Wolverines the early advantage.
 
GCU once again quickly responded, however, with two runs of its own in the last of the first to take a 2-1 advantage. Megan Stevens drove in the first run of the frame for the Lopes with an RBI single up the middle, while the go-ahead run later came in on an errant Utah Valley throw to the plate to give GCU the lead.
 
The Lopes later added another unearned run in the third and another in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead.
 
With runners on second and third in the top of the fifth inning, GCU's Brianna Aguilar looked to intentionally walk the hot-hitting Vansway to load the bases. But Vansway had other ideas as she ripped an intended pitch-out right back up the middle to drive in Kirsten Andersen and cut the deficit in half at 4-2. The Wolverines later loaded the bases and threatened for more in the frame, but Aguilar managed to pitch out of the jam by drawing an inning-ending ground ball off the bat of Basia Query to maintain the two-run advantage.
 
UVU then made things interesting in the top of the sixth when it pushed across an unearned run of its own to pull within one at 4-3. Andersen started a two-out rally for the Wolverines in the frame with a double down the leftfield line. She then reached third on a throwing error by GCU and later came in to score on another errant throw by the Lopes to make it a one-run game.
 
But Grand Canyon once again countered back with a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend its lead to 6-3. Gonzalez and Stevens came through with back-to-back two-out RBI hits to give the Lopes a little breathing room.
 
GCU's Aguilar then retired three of the four Wolverines she faced in the seventh to seal the victory for the Lopes.
 
Lauren Frailey (9-7) suffered the loss in the circle for the Wolverines despite allowing just three earned runs in 6.0 innings of work, while Aguilar (10-4) went the distance for GCU to earn her 10th win of the year.
 
Williams went a perfect 2-for-2 from the plate in the game for the Wolverines with a double and an RBI, while Andersen finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Morris chipped in a 2-for-4 performance with a run scored as well.
 
Vansway finished the night going 3-for-7 with two home runs, four RBIs and two runs scored.
 
UP NEXT FOR UVU
The Wolverines and Lopes will conclude the three-game weekend series on Saturday at 5 p.m. PT/6 p.m. MT at GCU Softball Stadium in Phoenix. Following Saturday evening's finale, UVU will return to Orem for a non-conference contest against Utah State on Tuesday, April 25 at 2 p.m.