Lady Pintos pull away late to defeat Taos, move to 4-0 in District 2-4A

TAOS — Angelita Tapia drove in three runs and Bella Maldonado provided three innings of flawless relief as the Moriarty Lady Pintos pulled away late to defeat Taos 16-6 in a District 2-4A softball matchup Wednesday.

The victory keeps the Lady Pintos (13-3, 4-0 District 2-4A) undefeated in district play, while Taos (1-12, 0-3) continues to search for its first conference win.

Moriarty broke a 6-6 tie in the fifth inning and never looked back, outscoring the Tigers 10-0 over the final three frames. The Lady Pintos’ offense capitalized on seven Taos errors and a disciplined eye at the plate, drawing 10 walks as a team.

Angelita Tapia led the charge, going 2-for-2 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Junior Emma Rodriguez anchored the top of the lineup, crossing the plate four times and collecting two hits. Freshman Bella Maldonado contributed two hits and four RBIs to the winning effort.

On the mound, Rodriguez started the contest, striking out five over four innings of work. However, it was Maldonado who slammed the door on any potential comeback. Coming on in relief, Maldonado threw three perfect innings, striking out nine of the 12 batters she faced without allowing a hit or a walk.

Taos found early life through Celina Shropshire, who launched a home run and finished with two RBIs, but the Tigers’ offense stalled once Maldonado took the circle.

Several other Lady Pintos contributed to the double-digit scoring effort. Carmelita Tapia and Danika Davenport each drove in runs and combined for four runs scored. Senior Kristina Means, Camila Bencomo Sotelo, and Tayler Milligan each recorded hits, while Hali Gruen added two runs scored to the tally. Peyton Rutz also contributed by reaching base twice via walks.

The Moriarty roster, which includes Laihla Reese, Destinee Chavez, Natalee Smith, Alexis Goodrum, and Caroline Gruen, showed its depth in a game where the Pintos combined for 11 hits and an impressive .490 on-base percentage.

Moriarty will look to maintain its perfect district record when it continues conference play later this week on the road against Los Alamos on April 15. The Lady Pintos will return home on April 25 for a doubleheader against Espanola Valley.