Magdalena seals second state title with late surge over Gateway Christian

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

ALBUQUERQUE — In a game that teetered on the edge of a pitcher’s duel and an offensive breakthrough, it was the Magdalena Steers who found the extra gear when it mattered most.

Fueled by a four-run sixth inning, the Steers captured their second state baseball title with a 7-3 win over the Gateway Christian Warriors on Friday afternoon at the Jennifer Riordan Spark Kindness Sports Complex in the New Mexico Class A state title game on Friday.

Senior Shane Montoya got the nod on the mound and delivered a championship-caliber performance, striking out nine while holding the Warriors to three runs on ten hits. Magdalena’s offense backed him up with nine hits of their own and stranded only two runners on base.

“We worked for this for the last few months,” said sophomore Zeb Apachito, a member of the Navajo Nation and Nakai Dine’é (Mexican Clan), born for Áshįįhí (Salt People) after the win. “As a team, we strived to do our best, work extra, and do all we could to earn this win.”

The Steers wasted little time getting on the board. In the bottom of the first inning, a single by Mathew Lopez brought in Josiah Candelaria for the early 1-0 advantage. Gateway Christian answered in the top of the second when Jacoby Chavez scored on a single to left, tying the game 1-1.

Both teams settled into a defensive rhythm through the rest of the second and into the third, until Magdalena struck again. In the bottom of the third, Lopez laced a triple to right field, scoring Candelaria to make it 2-1. Two batters later, Joseph Zamora doubled to left, bringing in Lopez to extend the lead to 3-1.

The fourth inning remained scoreless, but Gateway began to claw back in the fifth and sixth. A sacrifice fly by Victor Oaxaca allowed Samuel Waide to tag up from third and cut the deficit to 3-2. An inning later, Ethaniel Wigley’s sac fly to center field drove in Grady Munson from second to tie the game 3-3.

Just when it seemed the momentum might shift toward the Warriors, Magdalena answered with thunder in the bottom of the sixth.

Zamora led off the inning and came around to score on a line drive to left by Ayden Herschbach. Javen Tafoya followed with a base hit up the middle to score Herschbach, pushing the lead to 5-3. Tafoya would later score on a passed ball, and Apachito capped the rally by crossing the plate on a groundout by Josh Vigil, giving the Steers a 7-3 cushion.

Gateway Christian’s final at-bat came up empty, with a routine fly ball to shortstop and two strikeouts ending the Warriors’ hopes and sealing the state title for the Steers.

Magdalena head coach Kyl Candelaria credited both his veterans and underclassmen for a balanced and determined effort all season.

“I’ve had both Apachito and Piasso since they were little kids,” Candelaria said. “Having them both on the team has been beneficial. But as a team we have four seniors this year, and the rest will be returning—including a freshman starter. We worked hard all year, and now we’re looking to defend next year. These boys are now looked to lead us going forward.”