Pueblo beat Thatcher 6-2 on Friday to remain on top of the Division IV AIA/MaxPreps rankings. The Warriors (18-5 overall and 12-2 in rankings games) are experiencing one of the best seasons ever for the program, rivaled only by the 25-2 squad that won the 4A championship in 1990.

First-year coach Curtis Ruiz is a regular on the club circuit and he has created an atmosphere of high expectations and the winning that goes along with knowing you are meant to be on the field, no longer satisfied with just showing up to play and it all begins with "family."

"Being part of a family is the biggest part of our success," senior standout Sierra Gaskill explained. "Communicating with each other on the field and in the dugout. We knew we were going to be good this year because of how we came together."

The Warriors did drop a 7-5 game to Section III rival Benson (20-7, 12-2) last week so the team knows they can't take anything for granted.

"Coach always tells us to stay in our pocket," Gaskill added.  If we play our game on defense we will be fine. We know how to play and we know what to do."

On the other side, Thatcher (10-11, 5-8) has struggled over the last couple of years after back-to-back playoff appearances but the future looks bright with a team loaded with freshmen standouts including Laila West (.778) and Gabby Romero (.375).

Romero provided the only earned run against Ariana Ruiz (5-1) thanks to a solo line-drive blast in the top of the third to cut the deficit down to 6-2. It was the second home run for what promises to be a productive career.

"Our team has a long ways to go," Romero said. "But we've improved and cut down on a  lot of things that have hurt us. Plus we are young."

Pueblo scored two in the bottom of the first with Kamryn Gastelum knocking in Vanessa Duarte and Vanessa Molina drawing a walk with the bases loaded to bring in Gastelum. Thatcher got one back in the top of the second after Brianna McBride doubled and then scored on a couple of errors later in the inning.

Pueblo put the game out of reach in the bottom of the third thanks to four runs, paced by a two-RBI single from Gaskill and another run brought in by Molina. Alizea Corday scored Duarte earlier in the inning on a fielder's choice.

Ruiz retired nine of the next ten batters before Nickole Robles (9-2) replaced her in the sixth. Robles retired six of the last seven batters.

Jessica Black took the circle for Thatcher and Edna Apodaca took over in the third. Apodaca held Pueblo the rest of the way but the damage was already done.

Thatcher is on the edge of making the playoffs. It's a long shot but the Eagles still have three games left on their schedule. No. 3 Benson can claim the section title and the automatic playoff berth that comes with it by winning out but Pueblo can stay in the top spot as far as the rankings go by also winning out.

24 teams will make the D-IV state playoffs.