A teen boy in a grey, white and orange baseball uniform tags an opponent in a red and white uniform out on the helmet as the opponent slides past second base.

Bulldog baseball, softball advance to state quarterfinals

Brienne Green

May 16, 2025

BULLDOG BASEBALL

PICTURED: Jett Fuentes tags Bernalillo's Christian Sanchez out at second during a stolen base attempt in the top of the third of Game One of a best-of-three state first-round series Friday at Brainard Park.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

There's no such thing as taking it easy when you're No. 1.

Earning a top seed is intended to come with a few perks. A chance to compete one last time on your home turf in front of your fan base is chief among them. Another bonus is an opening-round game against the bottom of the bracket. The catch, however, is that you're guaranteed every team's "A" game from here on out. And the only ranking that ends up mattering is your own: Everybody's gunning for No. 1.

The Bulldog baseball team's Class 4A state best-two-of-three first-round series this weekend at Brainard Park wasn't a blowout. It was two games of sound, solid baseball as Artesia fended off a challenge from a squad fighting to extend its season. It's a recipe for success that should serve the Diamond 'Dogs well as they move forward after shutting out the Spartans 5-0 Friday evening before punching their ticket to the state quarterfinals Saturday, 8-5.

A teen boy in a grey, orange and white baseball uniform slides feet first into home plate.

PICTURED: Frankie Galindo slides home in the bottom of the second.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

The 'Dogs scored all five of their runs in their first two at-bats in Friday's opener, then hunkered down behind the pitching of junior Jack Byers to stymie Bernalillo's offense.

The Spartans had threatened in the top of the first, putting runners on the corners with a pair of base hits before a fielder's choice left them stranded. But from there, Bernalillo managed just four more baserunners -- only one of which reached scoring position -- as Byers struck out 15 batters with just two walks and one error committed amidst a seven-inning two-hitter.

The Bulldogs did the bulk of their damage in their inaugural trip to the plate, getting on the board quickly when -- after reaching on a walk -- leadoff Frankie Galindo stole second and sped home on a double to center by Jett Fuentes. Fuentes proceeded to steal both third and home in a double-steal with courtesy runner Derrick Warren following a Byers base on balls, and Warren became Run No. 3 on an RBI base hit to shallow right by catcher Brant Usherwood.

Two more 'Dogs crossed the plate in the second on back-to-back RBI singles from Fuentes and Byers. And although Artesia would put runners on in their final three at-bats as well, solid pitching from Spartan senior Uriel Castro held them at bay. The Bulldogs were led at the plate in Game One by Fuentes, 2-3 with a double and two RBI, and Byers, who went 1-2 with a walk and a run batted in.

A teen boy in a grey, orange and white baseball uniform flips the ball toward second base with his right arm extended.

PICTURED: Second baseman Kaden Beauregard tosses to shortstop Jett Fuentes for the final out of the top of the first Friday at Brainard Park.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

The boys in orange had a more active contest offensively in Saturday morning's Game Two but would find the Spartans' bats quite a bit feistier as well.

After ending an early Bernalillo scoring threat with a 2-5 put-out between Usherwood and Byers on a stolen base attempt, the 'Dogs were again first on the board when -- in the bottom of the first -- Galindo again walked to lead off and crossed on a Fuentes triple to right-center. Fuentes scored two batters later on a single up the middle from Usherwood.

The Spartans cut their deficit in half in the top of the second, however, with their first run of the series after Hernan Hernandez -- on as a hit batsman -- scored with two away on a base hit to center by Castro. The Bulldogs gave themselves some breathing room in the home half, loading the bases on singles from pitcher Diego Morales and Kaden Beauregard and an error. All three would dash home on a triple to the center-field fence by Galindo, and Galindo scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-1.

Bernalillo shrunk the gap again in the top of the third on RBI singles from Hernandez and DH Caleb Sabaquie and a passed ball, then proceeded to make it a one-run game in the top of the fourth, 6-5, after Castro -- on with a leadoff double -- scored on another two-bagger to center by Anthony Garcia. Garcia threatened to tie things up for the Spartans on a base hit to left by Hernandez, but he'd be gunned down at the plate by Jett Whitmire.

The Artesia boys struggled to add needed insurance runs, going down in order in their next three trips to the plate, but junior Daelon Pacheco -- who took the mound in relief of Morales for the final batter of the fourth -- and his defense held Bernalillo in check as well, getting a trio of fly balls to the outfield and a ground out in the tops of the fifth and sixth before ending the latter on an L-6-3 double play by Fuentes.

The 'Dogs then tacked two more to their total in the bottom of the sixth when, with one away, Charlie Campbell and Beauregard took the basepaths on a hit-by-pitch and walk, respectively, and scored on an RBI single to left by Galindo and a Fuentes sacrifice fly to center. With an 8-5 lead in hand, the Bulldogs' outfield arms then helped thwart a final charge by Bernalillo. Ulisses Castro singled to lead off the top of the seventh but was thrown out 8-6-2 by Galindo in center while attempting to score from first on a Garcia double. Garcia, in turn, was erased 7-2 by Destin Pacheco in left on a Hernandez single before a ground out ended the series.

Galindo led the team at the plate, going 2-3 with a triple and four RBI. Fuentes was 1-3 with a triple and two runs batted in, and Usherwood went 1-2 with an RBI.

With that, the Artesia boys (22-6) advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Class 4A state tourney, where they'll compete at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, May 15, at the Jennifer Riordan Spark Kindness Sports Complex in Albuquerque against No. 9 Hope Christian. The Huskies took their first-round series over No. 8 Valley in three: 0-1, 5-3 and 6-5. Other Thursday quarterfinals will include:

• No. 13 Chaparral vs. No. 12 Goddard at 12:30 p.m.: Both the Rockets and Lobos scored major upsets in terms of rankings, with Chaparral knocking out No. 4 Belen in three (15-15, 2-9, 12-11) and Goddard making short work of No. 5 Los Alamos in two (15-1, 11-4).

• No. 6 Bloomfield vs. No. 3 Albuquerque Academy at 3:30 p.m.: The Bobcats defeated No. 11 Deming in three (2-1, 5-8, 12-1), while the Chargers eliminated No. 14 Lovington in two (10-0, 3-1).

• No. 7 Grants vs. No. 2 St. Pius at 6:30 p.m.: The Pirates edged out No. 10 Santa Teresa in three (6-5, 1-14, 7-6), and the Sartans defeated No. 15 Kirtland Central in two (1-0, 8-1).

A win over Hope Christian would advance the Bulldogs to a 12:30 p.m. semifinal Friday, May 16, against the winner of No. 13 Chaparral vs. No. 12 Goddard.

Tickets to Thursday's quarterfinal action can be purchased online now on the NMAA's GoFan site.

A teen boy in a white and orange baseball uniform holds his glove above his head with his left hand as the baseball falls into it.

PICTURED: Jack Byers looks a pop fly into his glove for the third out of the top of the second Saturday.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

STAT BOX

Game One

Bernalillo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Artesia 3 2 0 0 0 0 - 5

Artesia
Batting: Frankie Galindo 0-1, 2-BB; Jett Fuentes 2-3 (1-2B), 2-RBI; Jack Byers 1-2, 1-BB, 1-RBI; Daelon Pacheco 0-2, 1-BB; Brant Usherwood 1-3, 1-RBI; Jett Whitmire 1-3; Diego Morales 0-3; Charlie Campbell 0-1, 2-BB; Kaden Beauregard 0-3
Pitching: Byers, jr.: 7-IP, 2-H, 0-R< 0-ER, 15-K, 2-BB
Team: 5-H, 1-E, 6-SB, 4-RBI, 4-LOB

Bernalillo
Batting: Uriel Castro 0-3; Christian Sanchez 1-2, 1-BB; Ulisses Castro 0-3; Anthony Garcia 1-3; Hernan Hernandez 0-3; Jacob Duran 0-2, 1-BB; Isaac Acosta 0-3; Brandon Keyonnie 0-2; Caleb Sabaquie 0-2
Pitching: Ur. Castro, sr.: 6-IP, 5-H, 5-R, 5-ER, 4-K, 6-BB
Team: 2-H, 0-E, 1-SB, 0-RBI, 4-LOB

Game Two

Bernalillo 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 5
Artesia 2 4 0 0 0 2 - 8

Artesia
Batting: Frankie Galindo 2-3 (1-3B), 1-BB, 4-RBI; Jett Fuentes 1-3 (1-3B), 1-SAC, 2-RBI; Jack Byers 0-3, 1-HP; Daelon Pacheco 0-1, 1-BB, 1-SAC; Brant Usherwood 1-2, 1-HP, 1-RBI; Jett Whitmire 0-2; Diego Morales 1-3; Charlie Campbell 0-2, 1-HP; Kaden Beauregard 1-2, 1-BB; Destin Pacheco 0-1
Pitching: Morales, jr.: 3 2/3-IP, 9-H, 5-R, 2-ER, 5-K, 0-BB; De. Pacheco, jr.: 3 1/3-IP, 5-H, 0-R, 0-ER, 0-K, 0-BB
Team: 6-H, 4-E, 4-SB, 7-RBI, 4-LOB

Bernalillo
Batting: Uriel Castro 4-4 (1-2B), 1-RBI; Christian Sanchez 0-4; Ulisses Castro 1-4; Anthony Garcia 3-4 (2-2B), 1-RBI; Hernan Hernandez 3-3, 1-HP, 1-RBI; Jacob Duran 2-4; Isaac Acosta 0-3; Caleb Sabaquie 1-3, 1-RBI; Hunter Alumbaugh 0-3
Pitching: Brandon Keyonnie, so.: 5 1/3-IP, 5-H, 8-R, 7-ER, 1-K, 3-BB; Sanchez, sr.: 2/3-IP, 1-H, 0-R, 0-ER, 0-K, 0-BB
Team: 14-H, 2-E, 1-SB, 4-RBI, 7-LOB

LADY BULLDOG SOFTBALL

A teen girl in an orange and grey softball uniform dips with her bat extended as a yellow softball flies off her bat.

PICTURED: Jenna Whitmire blasts a solo homer over the fence in left-center to lead off the sixth inning against Belen Saturday at The Mack.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Opening Weekend of the Class 4A State Softball Tournament was a bit busier than usual this year.

In a tweaked playoff format, the homes of the top four seeds became the sites of a quartet of mini-tournaments. The first two of three games were the single-elimination play-ins, determining which squads would be advancing to the double-elimination portion of the bracket. The only difference was that the teams comprising the bottom half of the bracket's Top Eight lost a home outing. The third game, meanwhile, served simply to remove the opening-round games from the Cleveland High School softball complex in Rio Rancho, due to the NMAA's feeling that the schedule -- much like the parking and the seating -- had become too congested at the cramped complex.

In a nutshell, it was win or go home followed by win and stay out of the losers' bracket Saturday at the Mack Chase Athletic Complex. And the Lady Bulldogs did just that. The No. 2 seed in this year's tourney, the Lady 'Dogs found themselves matched up with No. 15 Deming for their play-in game. More often than not in the playoffs, however, there's no such thing as an easy matchup, and the Lady Wildcats made the girls in orange work for their eventual 4-0 win.

In the end, a couple of shots over the fence made all the difference. Following a scoreless one-and-a-half, third baseman Kinsley Rodriguez led off the bottom of the second with a single before joining Jenna Whitmire in rounding the bases after Whitmire launched a bomb to dead center. Those two runs would be it for the bulk of the contest. Deming put runners in scoring position in their third and fourth trips to the plate, but freshman pitcher Katrin Marquez and her defense held them at bay. The two at-bats were particularly busy for Rodriguez, who delivered to ground outs with a runner on third in the third and a 5-U-3 double play in the fourth.

A teen girl in an orange and grey softball uniform swivels with her bat extended as a yellow softball hangs suspended just in front of the bat. The opposing catcher and umpire can be seen behind her.

PICTURED: Kinsley Rodriguez belts a solo home run to center to lead off the top of the fourth against Belen.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

The Lady Bulldogs also had ducks on the pond in those innings but were unable to move them around, and it looked as though Artesia might just wind up relying entirely on their second-inning output. In the bottom of the sixth, however, the girls in orange were able to tack on a pair for insurance. Kayden Apodaca posted a leadoff solo homer to center, and Rodriguez -- aboard with a base hit -- stole second and advanced to third on a Tessa Yates single before scoring on an error. Marquez then struck out the first two batters in the top of the seventh before Artesia punched its ticket to double-elimination play on a ground out to Apodaca at first.

Marquez finished with a three-hitter through seven complete, striking out 10 and walking just two in the shutout. The Lady 'Dogs were led at the plate by Rodriguez, 2-3; Whitmire, 1-2 with a home run and two RBI; and Apodaca, 1-3 with the one-run homer.

In Saturday's other single-elimination bout at The Mack, No. 10 Belen scored an upset over seventh-ranked Gallup, run-ruling the Lady Bengals 10-0 in six innings. That put the scrappy Eagles in a 2 p.m. game against Artesia for the right to remain in the winners' bracket going into this week, and Belen gave Artesia all they could handle through five.

Oddly, rather than high seed and host duties giving the home team home status throughout the day, the squads were required to flip a coin for Game Three, and the Lady Bulldogs wound up visitors on their own turf. They'd get on the board out of the box when -- with two away -- Apodaca tripled to right and was singled in by Rodriguez. Belen would answer with two in the home half, however, despite Artesia's best defensive efforts. The Eagles were able to load the bases with one out on a single up the middle by Honey Mirabal, which was followed by an Araceli Franco walk and a hit-by-pitch for Jayda Mirabal. The Lady 'Dogs were able to log Out No. 2 on a force at home, but a single to right by Shyla Rocha plated a pair.

A teen girl in an orange and grey softball uniform is seen from behind in the midst of her follow through as she pitches the ball toward an opponent in white at the plate.

PICTURED: Kayden Apodaca delivers the final K as she strikes out the side in the bottom of the second against Belen.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Belen's 2-1 lead would last through three complete, but in the top of the fourth, Rodriguez sent the first pitch from Lady Eagle senior Lorissa Scott over the fence in left-center to tie the game. The Lady Bulldogs would then take the lead in the top of five when Janae Molina -- on with a leadoff walk -- advanced to third on a Kambry Collins double before scoring on a sac-fly to right by Apodaca.

The Lady Eagles threatened to reinstate the deadlock in the bottom of that inning, putting runners on first and second with one away on a pair of errors. A force out at third and a strikeout by Apodaca kept the Artesia girls in front, however, and they'd break the game open in their final two at-bats of the season at The Mack.

Whitmire got the party started with a solo home run to left-center to lead off the sixth, and Brooklyn Fuentes and Tessa Yates followed that up with back-to-back singles. Fuentes scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Marquez, and Yates would score from second to make it 6-2 on a base hit from Collins. With one away in the seventh, consecutive base knocks from Whitmire and Fuentes -- the latter's scoring the former from second -- kicked off a four-run inning. Fuentes crossed the plate on a passed ball, and Jade Hammond and Molina -- on with a fielder's choice and dropped third strike, respectively -- came around on RBI singles from Marquez and Collins.

To close things out defensively, Apodaca struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth and got a pop-up to catcher Whitmire behind the plate and a ground ball back to the circle before ending the contest on a K. That would mark her 13th strikeout of the day in a seven-inning three-hitter with just one walk allowed. Offensively, Fuentes was 4-4 on the day with a double and an RBI; Collins 3-5 with a double and two runs batted in; and Rodriguez and Whitmire 2-4 with homers and the former with an extra RBI.

With the pair of wins, the Lady 'Dogs improved to 21-7 on the season and soon found themselves preparing for a winners' bracket quarterfinal matchup against a familiar foe. Trailing No. 6 Los Alamos 1-0 with two away in the bottom of the seventh in Wildcat Country, No. 3 Lovington got a walk-off three-run homer from Zemarie Ellis to earn their winners' bracket spot. District 4-AAAA's champions and runners-up will now square off again at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 15, on Field 2 at the Cleveland High complex.

The winner of that game will advance to a semifinal against the winner of No. 4 Aztec vs. No. 1 Silver at 11 a.m. Friday, May 16, on FIeld 4. The loser will drop into a 9 a.m. game Friday on Field 1 against the winner of No. 9 St. Pius vs. No. 5 Goddard, where they'll need three more wins to earn their way back into the championship (and a double-header win there to take it all).

Tickets for Thursday's action are on sale now on the NMAA's GoFan site.

A teen girl in an orange and grey softball uniform extends her bat as a yellow softball connects with it. The opposing catcher and umpire can be seen behind her.

PICTURED: Kambry Collins sends a double to left-center in the top of the fifth against Belen.(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

STAT BOX

Game One
Single-Elimination Play-In

Deming 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Artesia 0 2 0 0 0 2 - 4

Artesia
Batting: Katrin Marquez 1-3; Kambry Collins 0-3; Kayden Apodaca 1-3 (1-HR), 1-RBI; Kinsley Rodriguez 2-3; Jenna Whitmire 1-2 (1-HR), 1-BB, 2-RBI; Tessa Yates 1-3; Brooklyn Fuentes 0-2, 1-HP; Jade Hammond 0-3; Arianna Montoya 0-3
Pitching: Marquez, fr.: 7-IP, 3-H, 0-R, 0-ER, 10-K, 2-BB
Team: 6-H, 0-E, 1-SB, 3-RBI, 5-LOB

Deming
Batting: Bianca Pacheco 0-3; Cristal Enriquez 0-3; Maiyah Molina 0-2, 1-HP; Jaylin Holguin 1-2, 1-BB; Yalaiza Bedford 0-3; Kelsie Westbrook 0-3; Kaylee McMillan 1-2, 1-BB; Alejandra Milo 1-3; Tiffany Nunez 0-2
Pitching: Kayzleen Apodaca, jr.: 6-IP, 6-H, 4-R, 4-ER, 1-K, 1-BB
Team: 3-H, 1-E, 0-SB, 0-RBI, 5-LOB

Game Two
Double-Elimination First Round

Artesia 1 0 0 1 1 3 4 10
Belen 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

Artesia
Batting: Katrin Marquez 1-4, 1-SAC, 2-RBI; Kambry Collins 3-5 (1-2B), 2-RBI; Kayden Apodaca 1-4 (1-3B), 1-SAC, 1-RBI; Kinsley Rodriguez 2-4 (1-HR), 2-RBI; Jenna Whitmire 2-4 (1-HR), 1-RBI; Brooklyn Fuentes 4-4 (1-2B), 1-RBI; Tessa Yates 1-3, 1-BB; Jade Hammond 0-4; Janae Molina 1-3, 1-BB
Pitching: Apodaca, jr.: 7-IP, 3-H, 2-R, 2-ER, 13-K, 1-BB
Team: 15-H, 2-E, 2-SB, 9-RBI, 8-LOB

Belen
Batting: Lorissa Scott 0-3; Honey Mirabal 2-3; Araceli Franco 0-2, 1-BB; Jayda Mirabal 0-2, 1-HP; Jaylyn Boozer 0-3; Shyla Rocha 1-3, 2-RBI; Paesen Lucero 0-3; Peyten Lucero 0-3; Allie Wells 0-3
Pitching: Scott, sr.: 6-IP, 11-H, 6-R, 6-ER, 3-K, 1-BB; Pa. Lucero, fr.: 1-IP, 4-H, 4-R, 4-ER, 1-K, 1-BB
Team: 3-H, 0-E, 0-SB, 2-RBI, 4-LOB