By Sam Conner –
The Bourgade Catholic Golden Eagles defeated the Winslow Lady Bulldogs 7-1 in the Arizona Division III State Championship softball game on Saturday in Phoenix. The win improved Bourgade Catholic’s record to 29-3-1. Winslow dropped to a still excellent 26-6 for the season.
Jackie Aguilar of Bourgade Catholic allowed the Lady Bulldogs only five hits, all coming in the final two innings. She fanned 12 and walked one. Winslow used three pitchers, with Halle Hayes taking the loss with five runs, two of them earned, on four hits and four walks. Kelly Pugh and Taylor Baca worked in relief.
The Golden Eagles scored a pair of runs in the first inning without benefit of a hit. A hit batsman, a walk and an error with a pair of stolen bases got them a 2-0 lead. Bourgade Catholic should have scored at least once in the top of the third inning, but poor base running caused a runner to be doubled off second on a fly to the center field wall. Had there not been the force play, a runner from third would have scored.
Bourgade Catholic increased its lead to 5-0 in the top of the sixth inning when Winslow again had problems in the field. Samantha Chaires led off with a single, and there were two Winslow errors and a walk. Lauren Mordhorst’s two-run scoring double was the key hit in the rally. Winslow changed pitchers before the inning was over.
Winslow got its first hits and scoring threat in the bottom of the sixth when Halle Hayes singled and Arianna Huerta got a bunt single that sent Hayes to third.
The Golden Eagles got Jackie Aguilar aboard at second on an error and she scored on a single by Katie Galuchi. She scored the second run of the inning on a single by Mordhorst. After the inning, Bourgade Catholic had a commanding 7-0 lead.
The Lady Bulldogs made some noise in the bottom of the seventh inning when Jaime Bollin, Megan Lymer and Pugh singled to get on the scoreboard.
Winslow only had five hits for the game after blasting 14 against defending state champion Estrella Foothills the night before in the semifinals. Huerta, Jaime Bollin, Lymer and Pugh were all one for three. Halle Hayes was one for four.
Kelly Pugh went the distance for the Friday night win over Estrella Foothills. She gave up no runs on just two hits and two walks while fanning four in the game, which was shortened to five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.
The loss broke a 57-game winning streak for Estrella Foothills, which was undefeated for this season coming into the contest and ended the season with a 33-1 record.
The Lady Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Jaleisa Hayes was hit by the pitch with two out and scored as Baca and Jamie Bollin singled. Bollin proved to be the hitting star of the game with a four for four night and five runs batted in.
Winslow plated three runs in the top of the third for a 4-0 lead. Halle Hayes led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Arianna Huerta. Jaleisa Hayes doubled and Taylor Baca singled. Jamie Bollin singled, driving in two more runs.
The big inning for the Lady Bulldogs was the top of the fourth when they plated six runs on five hits and an error to build a 10-0 lead. Kelly Pugh doubled off the wall to lead off the inning and scored on a triple by Renee Bollin. Halle Hayes tripled and scored on a fielder’s choice that let Arianna Huerta reach base. Jaleisa Hayes walked and Jamie Bollin singled home two more runners. The final run of the game came in the top of the fifth inning as Halle Hayes and Jaleisa Hayes singled, Baca walked and Jamie Bollin singled again to complete her perfect night at the plate.
Pugh was threatened in the first inning when Estrella Foothills got its only runner to third base on an error with one out. She got the next two batters. The Winslow defense turned two double plays, erasing both of the Lady Wolves batters who walked. The Estrella Foothills hits came in the last two innings and neither got past second base.
The Winslow girls had a fabulous night at the plate, cracking out 14 hits, four of them for extra bases. Jamie Bollin was a perfect four for four with five runs batted in. Jaleisa Hayes was two for two with a double. Halle Hayes was three for four with a triple. Baca was two for three. Lymer was one for two. Renee Bollin was one for three with a triple. Pugh was one for three with a double.
Bourgade Catholic defeated top seeded Payson 7-2 in an earlier Friday game to earn its berth in the championship game.
