AZTEC – In what could serve as a preview of a matchup in the Class 4A state softball tournament, No. 3 St. Pius and No. 2 Aztec delivered a slugfest Monday that came down to the final swing.
Senior Zoe Mangrum’s sacrifice fly drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning, securing a 5-4 victory for the Sartans at the Aztec Sports Complex. The win snapped a nine-game winning streak for the Tigers and capped a back-and-forth battle defined by opportunistic hitting and defensive stands.
Aztec (16-5 overall, 8-0 District 1-4A) began the day with an automatic 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as the matchup was a resumption of a game previously halted by weather. However, the Sartans (20-5, 7-0 District 5-4A) found their rhythm immediately after the restart.
Eighth grader Lexi Jaramillo earned the win in relief for St. Pius. She entered in the fourth inning, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out five over three frames. Starter Dominique Morret handled the opening four innings, surrendering just one run on four hits.
Aztec senior ace Kamora Henry took the loss despite a dominant 13-strikeout performance. Henry allowed five runs on eight hits and helped her own cause with two hits at the plate.
St. Pius took its first lead in the first inning when Mangrum launched a two-run home run to center, putting the Sartans ahead 2-1.
“(Mangrum) came up to the plate and did her job,” said St. Pius head coach Melanie Roni Marquez. “Then she came out and finished the game for us. She’s one of the best leaders on our team and I’m happy to see that she was able to deliver.”
The Sartans extended their lead to 3-1 later in the game when Aubri Hooee doubled home Jaelyn Olloway.
Aztec’s offense finally ignited in the sixth. Ayasha Yellow sparked a rally with a base hit to right, followed by hits from Henry and Kayci Phillips to load the bases. With two outs, Christina Whitehorse put the ball in play, and a defensive miscue allowed three Tigers to cross the plate, vaulting Aztec ahead 4-3.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game because you have (Henry) — who’s a fantastic pitcher,” Marquez said. “It was difficult, but we hung in with them. It was just exciting because we’re going to see that kind of pitching that’s going to get us ready for state.”
St. Pius responded in its final at-bat. Morret led off the seventh with a single to left, eventually bringing Jaramillo home to tie the game and moving Diamor Ibarra-Villegas into scoring position. Mangrum then lifted a fly ball deep enough to score Ibarra-Villegas, sealing the walk-off win.
Aztec returns to district play Tuesday at Gallup, while St. Pius hosts Highland.