JT Keith
Artesia Daily Press
jtkeith@elrtiomedia.com
To avenge its loss in last year’s district season, the Artesia Lady ‘Dogs softball team needs to knock off rival Lovington before moving on to the state tournament.
This year’s regular season district championship will be decided in their next meeting 5 p.m. April 29 at the Mack Chase Complex.
Last season, Artesia lost the District 4-4A championship to the Wildcats but ended up playing against Gallup in the state championship game in a losing effort.
They faced off again as both teams circled April 17, their first meeting of the 2025 season, on their calendars in what has become a contested rivalry.
Nothing was settled as both teams traded victories in the early-season doubleheader in Lovington that would have determined who was in first place.
In this matchup, both teams won, with Lovington taking the first game 6-4 and The Lady Dogs taking the second game 3-2 in eight innings.
Here’s how the two teams fared in the doubleheader on April 17.
First game
In the first game, Artesia pitcher Katrin Marquez went 5.2 innings, giving up six hits and six runs. Marquez pitched three scoreless innings, but two of the six hits were home runs to Lovington’s Zabri Rodriguez and Zemarie Ellis, which accounted for three runs. The Wildcats did their damage in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring six runs.
Lovington’s Sabre Sanchez threw up zeros in a pitching duel until the fourth inning when The Lady ‘Dogs’ Kayden Apodaca homered to center field.
Marquez homered to left field in the sixth inning as Artesia trailed 6-2. In the seventh, Sanchez gave up a two-run homer to Artesia’s Janae Molina, but that was not enough as Artesia fell 6-4.
Second game
A pitcher’s duel ensued in the second game as both teams were scoreless for five innings until Artesia broke through as Jenessa Rodriguez reached first base on Lovington’s third baseman Arianna Garcia’s error. Apodaca singled to right field, and Rodriguez moved to third base with two outs. Artesia’s next hitter, Kinsley Rodriguez, tripled to right field to score both Jenessa Rodriguez and Apodaca to give the Lady Dogs a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Lovington’s Zabri Rodriguez doubled to centerfield and scored on an error to close the Lady Dogs lead to 2-1. Wildcats’ Jocelynn Holguin scored on a sacrifice bunt from Sanchez to tie the game at 2-2 and force extra innings.
Extra Innings
In the eighth inning, Lovington gave up a run when Artesia’s Kambry Collins scored on a double by teammate Brooklyn Fuentes to give the Lady Dogs a 3-2 win.
Artesia sits at 13-7 overall and 2-1, tied for first place with Lovington and Goddard in District 4-4A. The Lady Dogs begin a four-game home stand with Portales coming to the Mack Chase Complex on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
jtkeith can be reached at 575-420-0061, or on X @JTKEITH1
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