A few too many Ducks standing in the way.
 
Again.
 
For the second time in as many years, the bid by the Grand Canyon University Club Softball team to reach the national tournament was foiled by the University of Oregon, who knocked the Lopes out of the National Club Softball Association Pacific Region Tournament, 8-4, in the elimination semifinals Saturday in Sacramento, California. It was the second time in the span of just six hours that the 3^rd-seeded Lopes couldn't stop the bats of the 2^nd-seeded Ducks, who defeated them, 11-3, in the opening round. The Lopes finished the double-elimination tournament with a 1-2 record, having posted their first regionals win in three years in their Round 2 matchup over 4^th-seeded (and Pacific Region South Division rival) Cal-State Fullerton.
 
Round 1: Oregon 11, GCU 3 (F/6)
 
There had to be a moment or two of reflection prior to the 10AM first pitch for the Lopes, since they stared across the diamond to see the same team that had eliminated them from the playoffs the year before at the same venue. Lopes' Head Coach Lindsey Collins handed the ball, though, to one with none of the previous year's scars: GCU freshman pitcher Morgan Trent. After the Hampshire, Illinois, native worked out of a first-inning jam, her Lopes' teammates gave her a 1-0 edge in the top of the 2^nd when GCU 1^st baseman Reagan Ramcke was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. The lead lasted about five minutes as in the bottom of the frame, UO's Hope Ukolov picked this time to hit her first homer of the year – a two-run shot to left field – to give the Ducks the lead for good. By the time the Lopes scored again on Emma Pinkstaff's RBI single in the 5^th, the Ducks had used a 6-run 4^th inning to blow it open. Another Ducks' homer followed by a pair of singles provided the knockout punch in the sixth inning by invoking the eight-run "mercy rule". Ramcke cashed in the 3^rd Lopes' run with 6^th inning RBI double, which was GCU's 5^th and final hit of the game
 
Elimination Round: GCU 11, Cal-State Fullerton 5
 
Not wanting to suffer the same "two and out" fate they endured at last year's tournament, the Lopes fell behind, 3-1, heading to the bottom of the 3^rd inning, then finally saw the bats come alive. A pair of leadoff singles off CSUF starting pitcher Emily Isley were cashed in five pitches later when Megan Reichley cranked a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence to stake the Lopes to a 4-3 lead. The Titans weren't dead yet, using a Andrea Rodarte two-run blast to take the lead back in the 5^th, but the Lopes came right back with a half-dozen singles in the bottom of the inning to plate four runs for an 8-5 lead. Lopes' starting pitcher Bailey Pool made sure there'd be no more Titan rallies by retiring seven of the final nine hitters to face her, while getting more insurance in the bottom of the 6^th on a Reichley RBI double and Shelcee Nakaya sacrifice fly to score Reichley. Pool scattered 11 hits in going the seven-inning distance for the win, while Lopes' shortstop Addi VanWagoner paced the Lopes' offense with a 3-for-3 outing, scoring twice and knocking in a run.
 
Elimination Semifinals: Oregon 8, GCU 4
 
That left just one more step to get the Lopes back to the championship game for the first time since 2017, but once again, that "step" wore bright green, and wouldn't give GCU any breathing room. Back in the circle just a half-hour after finishing off Fullerton, Pool struggled to find her footing early, and the Ducks – who were tagged with their first loss of the tournament by top seed (and eventual tournament champion) UC Davis in the second round – jumped on her with a four-run 1^st inning. The Lopes made it interesting in the middle innings, thanks to a Nakaya RBI triple and a VanWagoner RBI grounder to get the Lopes on the board in the 4th; then a Rubi Canez double to bring Pinkstaff home in the 5^th to make it a one-run affair. The Lopes wouldn't get closer as the Ducks plated a run in the bottom of the 5^th, then put it out of reach with a three-run 8^th to send GCU home. Pool went the distance in the loss, striking out five, while Nakaya and Canez each went 2-for-4 at the plate.
 
While the Lopes' season may have ended a little earlier than they would've liked, they can still bask in the glory of knowing they won their 2^nd straight Pacific Region South title by matching the most division wins in the history of the program (14), and the 15-7 overall record is the most wins in a season since 2022-23.