PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Toledo softball team did not go down without a fight on the opening day of GCU's Purple Classic, but fell 6-4 to Pacific and 15-7 to defending WAC Champion Grand Canyon on Friday.
The Rockets fought back from a 3-0 deficit but could not hold on to a late lead in their 6-4 loss in the opening game vs. the Tigers. Toledo tied the game at 7-7 in the top of the sixth when the Lopes responded with eight runs in the bottom half of the inning to sescure the 15-7 nightcap victory.
Junior
Sidney Griffith led the Toledo offense with four hits, including her second-career home run. Four Rockets added three hits on the day, including senior
Riley Mohr who also had three RBIs and hit her first homer this season in the nightcap vs. GCU.
Senior
Jenna Kroll drove in one run on Friday to bring her career total to 89 and tie Jessica Lemieux (2013-16) at No.10 in program history. Rhonda King (1987-90) holds the program record with 131 career RBIs.
Toledo (5-6) continues competition Saturday with a doubleheader vs. Montana (9:00 a.m MST / 11:00 a.m. EST) and New Mexico (2:00 p.m. MST / 4:00 p.m. EST) at the GCU Softball Stadium.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game One
Pacific 6, Toledo 4
- Pacific took the first lead of the afternoon with two unearned runs in the second and a solo home run in the third.
- Jenna Kroll hit an RBI single through the left center and Riley Mohr singled to center field to drive in another run for the Rockets to make it a 3-2 ballgame.
- Eli Enriquez stole third and scored on a throwing error, and Sidney Griffith homered to left field to push Toledo ahead 4-3 in the fifth.
- Pacific took back the lead with a three-run double in the sixth.
- UT had two runners on base but went down on a fielder's choice to end the game.
Game Two
Grand Canyon 15, Toledo 7
- Grand Canyon plated three runs in the third.
- Riley Mohr ignited the UT offense with a two-run homer to center field, and two more runs came around the plate off a wild pitch by the Lopes' Ariel Thompson. Lexi Eckman drove in another run with her double down the left line to make it a 5-3 in the fourth.
- The Lopes tied the game at the bottom of the inning with an RBI single and an infield throwing error.
- GCU took back the lead with two runs in the fifth.
- Eckman's single to left field brought around the lead runner, and Sidney Griffith reached home on a throwing error to tie the game at 7-7 in the sixth.
- GCU scored eight runs in thebottom of the sixth to end the game 15-7.