Lady Pintos Open District with 12-1 Victory

MORIARTY — The Moriarty Lady Pintos opened District 2-4A play with an offensive masterclass Wednesday, beating Espanola Valley 12-2 in a five-inning, run-rule victory.

Moriarty’s bats were relentless from the opening pitch, racking up 13 hits and jumping out to a massive 5-0 lead in the first inning. The early cushion provided plenty of breathing room for freshman pitcher Bella Maldonado, who dominated in the circle while also contributing a perfect day at the plate.

“Our hitting was fantastic. We hit the ball as we should, and we ran the bases as we should,” said Moriarty head coach Amy Mowrer. “Our defense is kicking in. We still had a few flubs that we should not have had, but we didn’t let it knock us down.”

Maldonado Does It All

Maldonado earned the win with a complete-game performance, striking out six batters and allowing just four hits over five innings. Most impressively, none of the two runs surrendered by the freshman were earned.

Offensively, Maldonado helped her own cause by going 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. She was one of several Lady Pintos to record a multi-hit game in the district opener.

Offensive Fireworks

The Lady Pintos combined for five extra-base hits and 12 RBIs, led by a breakout performance from sophomore Angelita Tapia.

• Angelita Tapia (So.): Finished a perfect 3-for-3, including a double and two triples, while driving in a team-high three runs and scoring three times.
• Emma Rodriguez (Jr.): Went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
• Kristina Means (Sr.): Drove in two runs.
• Peyton Rutz (So.): Recorded two hits, including a double, and one RBI.

Destinee Chavez, Danika Davenport, and Camila Bencomo Sotelo each added hits and RBIs to a lineup that saw every starter contribute to the box score.

Setting the Tone

Winning the district opener provides more than just a tally in the win column; for Coach Reese, it’s about the psychological edge heading into a competitive season.

“It sets their mind for ‘we can accomplish what our goal is,'” Reese said. “We’re going to come out tomorrow at practice and face things that we messed up on out here. We go to Pojoaque on Saturday, and we’ll try to keep the bats up and the defense tight.”

The Lady Pintos roster includes: Emma Rodriguez, Hali Gruen, Kristina Means, Destinee Chavez, Carmelita Tapia, Natalee Smith, Angelita Tapia, Peyton Rutz, Alexis Goodrum, Caroline Gruen, Bella Maldonado, Danika Davenport, Camila Bencomo Sotelo, and Tayler Milligan.