FARMINGTON – In a high-scoring matchup defined by early home runs and defensive miscues, the Piedra Vista softball team pulled away late to secure a 14-5 victory over Farmington on Tuesday at the Farmington Sports Complex.
The Panthers (15-6 overall, 3-2 District 1-5A) overcame an early deficit with a five-run first inning and capitalized on six Farmington errors to seal the win.
Farmington wasted no time in the first inning. After a single by Alba Allen and an error, Annaleese Armstrong cleared the center-field fence with a three-run home run to give the Scorpions an immediate 3-0 lead.
Piedra Vista answered immediately in the bottom half. Following a walk and a single, Isabella Jessee launched a three-run homer of her own to center field, knotting the game at 3-3. The Panthers didn’t stop there, using a pair of infield errors and an RBI single from Druscilla Nabors to take a 5-3 lead after one.
Farmington clawed back in the third. Ashlynn Sandoval led off the inning with a solo home run to center, and Tiana Pete laced an RBI single to tie the game at 5-5.
However, the Panthers regained control in the bottom of the third. An error by Farmington second baseman Roxy Perryman allowed Julie Vigil to score, and Jessee added an RBI groundout. A third error in the frame allowed another run to cross, pushing the PV lead to 8-5.
Piedra Vista broke the game open in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Michaela Perea delivered the knockout blow with a two-run double to right field, scoring Nabors and Marquel Peace to make it 11-5.
Perea earned the win in relief for Piedra Vista. After entering in the third inning, she stifled the Scorpions’ bats, racking up seven strikeouts over the final 4 1/3 innings, including a dominant seventh inning where she struck out the side to end the game.
Sandoval took the loss for Farmington (9-12 overall, 0-5 District), laboring through four innings and surrendering 11 runs, though only six were earned.
Kamora Henry delivered both in the circle and at the plate as Aztec High’s softball team edged Kirtland Central 6-4 on Tuesday.
The Tigers used a two-run seventh inning to break a late deadlock, fueled by a clutch RBI single from Cami Lucio and a run-scoring knock by Kayci Phillips. The late surge spoiled a gritty comeback effort by the Broncos, who had erased a two-run deficit in the bottom of the sixth.
Aztec jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. After Lucio reached on an error, Henry cleared the fences with a two-run home run to left field.
Kirtland Central answered immediately in the bottom half of the frame. Hailey Loyd ignited the rally with a triple to right, later scoring on a hard ground ball single from Kiana Tsosie. Cailyn Belin then leveled the game at 2-2 with a fly-ball double that brought home Paisley McGilbert.
The Tigers reclaimed the lead in the fourth when Phillips reached on one of Kirtland Central’s four errors. Graciella Lovato followed with an RBI triple to right field and eventually crossed the plate on a dropped third strike to push the Aztec lead to 4-2.
The Broncos fought back in a chaotic sixth inning. After a pair of Aztec errors helped load the bases, Kaytanna Chee hit a fly ball to center. Mcgilbert tagged and scored, and Tsosie followed her home on a subsequent throwing error by the catcher to tie the game at 4-4.
In the final frame, Aztec showed patience at the plate, drawing two walks off Kirtland pitcher Rory Benally to set the stage for Lucio and Phillips.
Henry earned the win, pitching a complete game. She was particularly dominant in the middle innings, at one point striking out four consecutive Broncos between the second and third frames. She finished her afternoon with eight strikeouts.
Benally took the loss for Kirtland Central despite a resilient performance, striking out 11 Tigers over seven innings of work.