Lady Eagles outlast Wingate in thriller, sweep doubleheader to open district play

By Truman Begaye
Special to the Times

WINGATE – The Navajo Prep Lady Eagles kicked off District 1-3A play with a doubleheader against the Wingate Lady Bears on Thursday afternoon.

In a dramatic opener, the two teams went toe-to-toe, trading runs before Navajo Prep pulled away in extra innings for an 18-16 victory. The second game saw the Eagles take full control, earning a dominant 28-3 win to complete the sweep.

“Wingate started to rally in that final inning, so I had to talk to the team about getting to the ball and bringing it back into the infield,” said Eagles’ head coach Delbert Thomas, now in his third year leading the program. “On the batting side, we always like to swing at the first pitch if it’s a good one. We teach our girls to be aggressive at bat.”

The opener was a back-and-forth affair. Both teams scored one run in the first inning, but Navajo Prep began to build momentum in the second, plating two runs while Wingate went three up, three down. In the third, the Bears stranded two runners as the Eagles tacked on four more to take a 7-1 lead.

But Wingate fought back. They plated four runs in the fourth while holding Navajo Prep scoreless, closing the gap to 7-5. The Bears then tied the game 7-7 in the fifth, as pitcher Nayeii Rico struck out two and retired the side.

Navajo Prep responded in the sixth, scoring three runs, while Wingate added just one, giving the Eagles a 10-8 edge heading into the final frame. The Bears rallied once more, scoring three runs to even the game at 11-11 and forcing extra innings.

In the eighth, the Eagles poured on seven runs in a relentless surge, while the Bears could only respond with five, falling just short in an 18-16 decision.

Freshman Miley Barber sparked the Eagles with four hits and two RBIs, while sophomore Isabelle Yazzie crossed home plate three times. Senior Brooke Davis added two assists on runs.

On the mound, Navajo Prep split pitching duties between three players, allowing 16 runs on 26 hits and striking out 11. Senior Shianne Begay faced 19 batters, allowing six runs, striking out six, and walking two.

Wingate’s Rico threw a complete game, allowing 18 runs on 30 hits and striking out five.

“We played Navajo Prep last week in the Shush Slam tournament, so we’re familiar with them,” said Wingate’s first-year head coach Jocelyn Boyd. “Our season is off to a pretty decent start. We’ve got a solid pitcher in Nayeii Rico and an up-and-coming JV player. We’ve got some struggles, and that’s what prevented a win this time around.”

The second game wasn’t nearly as close. Navajo Prep exploded at the plate, cruising to a 28-3 victory to close out the day.

With the sweep, the Lady Eagles gain early momentum in district play and will return to the diamond Friday for a doubleheader against the Northwest Lady Falcons.

The Lady Bears swept Zuni on Tuesday night as Wingate improved to 3-3 overall and 2-2 in district. The scores on Tuesday night were 12-10 and 9-7 in favor of Wingate.

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