Some call softball a perfect game but perfection is ultimately defined by the person holding the scorebook. The person with that pencil can ruin a good game with a peculiar interpretation of an error over a hit but wins and losses are the constants and ending a season undefeated is universal perfection. Prior to Monday afternoon, only six known high school softball teams in the state of Arizona have ever held up a trophy at the end of a season without knowing the sting of defeat or a tie and Salpointe made that seven after the Lancers held on to defeat Vista Grande 5-4 Monday afternoon at Hillenbrand Stadium on the University of Arizona campus.

The victory gave the Lancers their fifth state championship and the program finished 24-0 and the Spartans ended the year with an 18-2 record. Head coach Amy Rocha guided the program to three straight 4A championships with the 2020 season out of the equation due to COVID restrictions.

With three championships from Southern Arizona, the former University of Arizona catcher joins the likes of Southern Arizona legends Kelly Fowler at Canyon del Oro, Armando Quiroz at Flowing Wells, Chris Fanning of Sahuarita and Amy Swiderski at Canyon del Oro. Legendary Sahuaro coach Billy Lopez finished his career with six championships, San Manuel’s Sheila Baize had five and current Cienega coach Eric Tatham has four. Of all these coaches, only two ended the year undefeated.

Baize coached San Manuel to undefeated seasons at the 4A level in 1977 (20-0) and in 1980 (24-0) and, as mentioned before, Rocha finished this spring 24-0.

On the other side, no softball team from the city of Casa Grande has ever made it to a state championship game until Vista Grande did it this spring. That’s 45 years of waiting and Rudy Valenzuela brought his program within one hit of a state championship. It was amazing run that was solidified when the Spartans acme back to defeat Canyon del Oro 6-5 in the semifinal round four days ago. The Dorados led that game 5-3 but Vista Grande scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh for the victory.

That comeback victory was the biggest in program history and the team almost did it again on Monday against Salpointe. Alyssa Aguilar put the Lancers up 5-1 with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth but Vista Grande was not finished.

(Adecelli Archuleta cut the Salpointe lead down to 5-4 with a 2-run shot/Andy Morales/AZPreps365)

 

Illeana Cosillos came up with a leadoff single to give the Spartans some hope and then Bri Jorgensen followed with an RBI double to make it 5-2 with no outs. Adecelli Archuleta hit a shot over the fence to cut the Salpointe lead down to 5-4 but Aguilar recovered and she picked up her second strikeout of the game and then a fly ball and another strikeout ended the comeback and the Lancer poured onto the field in celebration.

Aguilar finished 17-0 on the year and 59-10 in her career and three of those were state championship victories, having won as a freshman, sophomore and a senior. Alyssa Tinnin ended her junior year with a 15-2 record for Vista Grande.

(Bri Jorgensen had two doubles and two RBI./Andy Morales/AZPreps365)

 

The Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning after Tinnin walked and Jorgensen doubled her in but Salpointe responded with four runs in the bottom half of the third inning.

Aguilar reached on a hard shot to the shortstop and then Alyssa Delgado put down a sacrifice bunt which resulted in an error and a run with Delgado standing at third base. Taiya Texeria was running for Aguilar.

Yannixa Acuna reached on an infield hit to score Delgado and then Logan Cole walked and took second base. Anyssa Wild hit a sacrifice fly to score Acuna and then Kimmy McDaniels knocked in Cole to make it 4-1.

Vista Grande (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)