Gallup punches ticket to 4A title game
Submitted | Autumn Tsosie-Hood
Gallup ace pitcher Seniah “SJ” Haines gave six runs on seven hits on Friday morning in the Class 4A state semifinals against No. 4 seed Lovington. Gallup advanced into the title game with a 12-6 win for the second year in a row.
RIO RANCHO, N.M.
Depth at the plate proved to be a difference-maker for the Gallup softball team.
On Friday morning, the Lady Bengals scattered 16 hits against No. 4 Lovington in the Class 4A state semifinals.
Those hits helped No. 2 seed Gallup reach the state title game for the second year as the Bengals posted a 12-6 win over the Lady Wildcats at Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho.
“Our girls can put the ball in play,” said Gallup coach Crystal Pablo, whose team improved to 23-7 overall. “Our lineup has been hitting great, and it’s all about timing. Once one girl gets a good base hit, it gets contagious – everybody wants to hit, and everyone wants to get on base.”
Breanna Becenti led the Bengals with three hits in five plate appearances, including a double and two RBIs. Seniah “SJ” Haines, Katherine Lincoln, Taylor Morgan, Alexis Tsosie-Hood, Stephanesha Charlie, and Morgan Belone added two hits each.
“We just put a lot of pressure on their defense,” said Haines, who finished with a triple and 3 RBIs.
After trailing 1-0 to start the contest, Gallup strung together five hits in the top of the second to take a commanding 6-1 cushion.
The Bengals plated three more runs in the third before Lovington got those runs back and trailed 9-4, heading into the sixth.
Gallup went up 12-4, but the Wildcats put some pressure on the Pablo-coached team with a two-out, two-run rally in the bottom of the seventh to close within six.
“I think this was definitely a good game,” Pablo said. “It kind of exposed on what we need to work on, which is communication.
“But, you know, the girls did not roll over, and they kept fighting,” she added. “So did Lovington, and they wanted it just as much as we did.”
Submitted | Autumn Tsosie-Hood
Gallup centerfielder Taylor Morgan hit an 0-2 pitch for a triple against the Lovington Lady Wildcats on Friday morning in the Class 4A state semifinals. Gallup scattered 16 hits and advanced into Saturday’s title game with a 12-6 win.
Inside the circle, Haines gave up six runs on seven hits. Two of those runs were scored late as Gallup made some defensive errors.
“In those situations, we just need to calm down and stick to our game,” Haines said. “Even if we make errors, I still trust my teammates to make plays.”
The Gallup ace said she’s excited to be playing in the state finals again. She’s hoping for a different outcome as they came up short to Artesia last season.
“This feels good,” she said. “We really worked hard this season to get back to the championship game, and we really deserve this.”
“It’s very rewarding to be playing in the state title game because everyone has worked hard for this,” Pablo chimed in. “They put the time in, and we’ve had this goal since last year.”
Like her pupil, the Gallup coach said they’re looking to win the school’s first-ever state softball championship.
“We want that blue trophy,” she said. “These girls have worked hard for it. We have one more game to go, and we got to keep this going.”
Gallup will get a rematch with Lovington as the Wildcats outlasted top-seeded Artesia by a 17-15 count in an elimination game.
The championship game is set for 3 p.m. at the University of New Mexico softball field in Albuquerque. An “if necessary” game will be scheduled later on Saturday should Gallup lose.
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow