Gallup rallies late to edge Kirtland Central, extends win streak over district rival

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

GALLUP

Down five runs the Lady Bengals found their bats when it mattered most, rallying in the fifth and sixth innings for an 11-9 win over district rival Kirtland Central at Gallup High School on Friday afternoon.

The victory extends Gallup’s winning streak over the Lady Broncos to 14 straight games dating back to the 2018 season.

Gallup (11-7) remains unbeaten in District 1-4A at 5-0 and shares the top spot with Aztec as both teams won on Tuesday with the Bengals shutting out Shiprock 19-0 and Aztec posting a 6-4 win over KC.

Last Friday’s game did not come easy for the Bengals. For much of the afternoon, Kirtland Central controlled the tempo, forcing Gallup to play from behind and search for answers.

The Lady Broncos struck early in the first inning. After senior pitcher Morgan Belone issued a pair of wild pitches that moved runners into scoring position, sophomore Kriianna Crawford crossed home on another wild pitch. Junior Kiana Tsosie followed with a double to left field that brought home sophomore Elecia Sands for a 2-0 lead.

Gallup answered quickly in the bottom half with a three-run response that hinted at what was to come later in the game. Senior catcher Leia Tso singled to center field to score junior Jaylah Greene, while Belone moved into scoring position. Junior first baseman Cheyenne Panzy lifted a sacrifice fly that allowed Belone to tag and score, tying the game at 2-2. Senior right fielder Crystal Maruffo then lined a single to left field, bringing in eighth grader Summer Antez and giving Gallup a 3-2 lead.

That momentum did not hold. Kirtland Central regained control in the second inning when eighth grader Lacey Parrish delivered an RBI single to put the Lady Broncos back in front 4-3. The game settled briefly after that, with both teams held scoreless through the third inning, but the quiet did not last.

In the fourth, Kirtland Central broke things open. Senior left fielder Amelia Gomez sent a two-run home run over the outfield fence to stretch the lead to 6-3. Later in the inning, senior pitcher Rory Benally added an RBI single to left field, scoring Crawford, and pushing the advantage to 7-3.

Gallup struggled to answer in the bottom half, and when KC senior first base Cailyn Belin launched a solo home run in the fifth inning, the Lady Broncos extended their lead to 8-3. The pressure built, and Gallup turned to Martinez in relief. Martinez steadied the game, retiring the next three batters and giving the Lady Bengals a chance to regroup. Belone finished her outing allowing eight runs on 14 hits, throwing 72 pitches with 45 strikes.

Then the shift began. In the bottom of the fifth, Belone helped ignite the rally with an RBI double that scored Greene and moved Martinez into scoring position. Tso followed with a hit to left field that brought home both runners, cutting the deficit to 8-6. The dugout came alive, and the energy that had been quiet all afternoon started to return.

Gallup carried that momentum into the sixth inning. After holding Kirtland Central scoreless in the top half, the Lady Bengals stepped back into the batter’s box with purpose. Freshman second baseman Scottlynn Torres scored on a misplayed ground ball, trimming the lead to 8-7. Greene followed with a triple to left field, driving in the tying run as the game reset at 8-8. From there, the hits came in rhythm. Martinez delivered an RBI double to right field, giving Gallup its first lead since the second inning at 9-8. Tso continued her standout performance with another RBI double to extend the lead to 10-8. Panzy capped the inning with a run-scoring double, pushing the rally to five runs and giving Gallup an 11-8 advantage.

Sophomore Easton Myhre came on in relief of Benally and recorded the final out of the sixth inning following the rally. Benally was charged with the loss after allowing 11 runs on 14 hits over 110 pitches, including 77 strikes.

Kirtland Central made one last push in the seventh. Belin connected again, sending her second home run of the night over the center field fence to cut the lead to 11-9. But Gallup did not let the moment slip. A groundout to the pitcher followed by two flyouts sealed the win as the Lady Bengals closed it out at home.

Tso led Gallup with four RBIs, including two in the fifth that helped spark the comeback. Panzy added two RBIs, while four other players contributed one each in a balanced offensive effort.

After the game, Gallup head coach Christopher Trujillo said his team trusted its ability to respond, even when the deficit grew.

“We first started out nervous and it showed,” Trujillo said. “I know we can swing our bats. We had 18 on Bloomfield and 14 on Miyamura. We can swing the bat, so I told the team we could cut into the lead. I trust the team to come through.”

Trujillo said the win carries weight, but the focus remains on the road ahead.

“It’s a good feeling to have, to get past a tough opponent like Kirtland Central,” he said. “Next week we have Aztec, but we can’t overlook Shiprock on Tuesday.”

Looking ahead to district play, Trujillo said the confidence is there.

“I trust in our bats, and I trust in our pitchers Belone and Martinez to battle,” he said. “A few games ago, we had fifth-ranked Los Lunas on the ropes 6-0, but they came back at the end. We have the confidence to play anyone, and we are looking forward to next week when we travel to Aztec.”

He also credited Kirtland Central for pushing Gallup deep into the game.

“Hands down to Kirtland Central, they beat some big teams, so they are a tough team and they made us nervous,” Trujillo said. “But once again, the team put in the work in the batting cage and on the field, and it’s paying off.”

Gallup will travel to Aztec (12-4, 5-0) on Friday in another key district matchup, while Kirtland Central (14-7, 2-3) will face Bloomfield (7-4, 2-3).

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