Softball: 5A, 4A powers to face stiff championship challenges; Two small school dynasties add titles

The last New Mexico softball team to complete a perfect season was the 2017 La Cueva Bears, who went 28-0 and won the Class 5A title.

Saturday, the 2025 Bears get a chance to prevent No. 1 seed Centennial from accomplishing the same feat when the two meet at noon at the UNM Softball complex for the Class 5A championship.

An “if necessary” Game 2 in the double-elimination tournament is at 4 p.m.

Friday morning, No. 2 seed La Cueva failed in its first try to hand the Hawks (29-0) their first loss as Centennial beat the Bears 4-0.

An Addie Moccia double drove in two runs in a three-run first inning for defending champion Centennial.

La Cueva’s Liliana Montoya struck out 11 in the loss.

In Friday’s elimination bracket semifinal to get that second shot at Centennial, Montoya struck out 12 Las Cruces High batters from the pitcher’s circle and in the batter’s box added three hits, two walks and a two-run home run in the Bears’ 10-run, decisive sixth-inning.

La Cueva (27-4) beat Las Cruces 18-2 in a game stopped after six innings due to the run rule.

Genesis Jaramillo had two hits, a home run, three RBIs and a stolen base for La Cueva and Mace-Rae Santistevan also drove in three runs in the win.

Class 4A

At Cleveland High School, with her team trailing by one in the bottom of the eighth inning, senior Zabri Rodriguez ripped a walk-off, two-RBI double to the left-centerfield wall giving No. 3 Lovington an 11-10, extra innings win over No. 2 Artesia.

The elimination bracket win sends Lovington to Saturday’s 4A championship series against top seed Silver (26-4), which cruised past Artesia earlier in the day 5-1. Maria Ruelaz and Mia Sanchez had three hits apiece in the Silver win.

Lovington (23-9) won three elimination bracket games Friday.

Saturday’s series starts at 10 a.m. with an “if necessary” Game 2 at 2 p.m. at the UNM Softball Complex.

Class 3A

At the UNM Softball Complex, Isis Dominguez had a two-RBI single and Ezmyah Dominguez had a two-RBI double in a five-run seventh inning, leading No. 2 Cobre to a 5-4 win over top-seeded Dexter for the Indian’s 12th state title.

Junior pitcher Bella Saiz threw 117 pitches and struck out 12 Dexter hitters in the win.

The Demons (26-4) didn’t lose to a 3A school in the regular season, but lost to Cobre twice this week — 2-1 (8 innings) on Wednesday and 5-4 on Friday.

For Cobre (23-7), Friday’s title helps erase the bitter taste of last year’s championship loss to West Las Vegas.

Class 1A-2A

At the UNM Softball Complex, Loving’s small school dynasty continued with a pair of emphatic wins, 12-0 and 15-0 (3 innings), over No. 6 Hozho Academy.

The underdog Wolves (25-7) were playing in their first softball championship after pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the spring, beating the No. 1 seed Falcons on Wednesday, 3-1, in the double-elimination tournament.

Loving (25-7) played its way back through the elimination bracket. In Friday’s title clincher, senior shortstop Sierra Rodriguez had an RBI double in a seven-run second inning and a bases-loaded triple in the third inning, where the game was called due to the 15-run rule.

Loving outscored state tournament opponents 69-3 — 68-0 not counting Wednesday’s head-scratching loss — to secure state title No. 21.