Salpointe celebration #azpreps365 https://t.co/NeuCfpb33e pic.twitter.com/woa6AYN6cP
— Andy Morales (@AZPreps365Andy) May 12, 2024
Salpointe was winless in three games against rival Canyon del Oro in the regular season, but the Lancers won the matchup Saturday night that counted the most behind a barrage of four home runs.
They won their sixth consecutive state championship in the process.
Salpointe’s 11-0 win in five innings in front of a large crowd at Arizona’s Hillenbrand Stadium also gave Tricia Sztan her third state championship in the same amount of years she has coached at her alma mater.
The sixth straight championship, that included a victory over CDO in 2022, is a state record for the 4A level.
.@schssoftball_ senior catcher and captain Jae Castillo, a Utah State signee, hit the first of four Salpointe home runs in the 11-0 win in five innings over rival CDO for the 4A state title. Castillo has the honor and distinction of being one of Salpointe’s seniors with four… pic.twitter.com/zblqYE6m9b
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) May 12, 2024
Salpointe was previously tied with Mesa Red Mountain (2010-14) for the longest streak of five consecutive titles.
The Lancers finish their season 30-4. They are 97-7 in Sztan’s three years as head coach.
CDO legendary coach Kelly Fowler, who has three state titles, will coach her program at the 5A level next season while Salpointe will remain at 4A. Ironwood Ridge will switch from 5A to 4A and the Lancers must also contend with upstart Mica Mountain at the 4A level.
The Dorados-Lancers state championship rivalry will come to an end, however. CDO won the state title in 2017 before Salpointe started its current string of six consecutive titles.
“I’m so proud of our girls,” Fowler said. “We have a we have a very small senior class. We have a ton of juniors coming back and we’re moving up to 5A, so it’ll be fine.”
“We made each other better,” Fowler said of the rivalry with Salpointe. “We’re up against each other. This is crazy that the two best teams are in the same conference. It’s crazy and it’s been like that forever. So it’ll be interesting.”
Only a sophomore Macee Jackson with the win @schssoftball_ pic.twitter.com/CL8FejifJs
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) May 12, 2024
Salpointe’s four home runs came from Jae Castillo, Molli Daley, Jordan Goedel and Arizona signee Anyssa Wild.
The blasts from Goedel and Wild occurred during Salpointe’s six-run fifth inning that put the Lancers ahead 11-0.
Arizona commit @ArizonaSoftball Anyssa Wild @schssoftball_ home run tonight pic.twitter.com/Uy6I4ynF54
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) May 12, 2024
Salpointe took a 2-0 lead after the first two innings behind solo home runs by Castillo and Daley.
The home runs each occurred with two outs — Castillo’s in the first inning over the blue monster in centerfield and Daley’s on a line drive over the left field wall.
The Lancers never led when they went 0-3 against CDO in the regular season. Two of the games were shutout losses (3-0 and 4-0) and in the other game, CDO led 3-0 before emerging with a 4-3 win after Salpointe tied the game.
Salpointe @schssoftball_ head coach Tricia Sztan pic.twitter.com/rVcxPUdtDJ
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) May 12, 2024
Salpointe rallied for three runs in the third inning to increase the lead to 5-0.
Freshman Isabel Otero doubled to lead off the inning and her pinch-runner Carsyn O’Daniel moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Taiya Texiera. O’Daniel then scored on Alma Garcia’s single to left field.
After the second out, Goedel reached on an error and Wild (an Arizona signee) walked.
.@schssoftball_ junior LF Molli Daley went 2 for 3 with a HR, double and two RBIs tonight. She had one HR before the postseason and belted one in the 4A semifinals against Mica Mountain and another tonight in the 11-0 win over CDO in the 4A state championship. pic.twitter.com/4CbSp7xljs
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) May 12, 2024
Izzy Soto followed with a single that scored Garcia. Goedel advanced home on the play to give Salpointe a 5-0 lead.
Four of Salpointe’s first five runs came with two outs.
The six-run fifth inning included four hits and five walks and 12 batters going to the plate.
Great season @CDOSoftball ! pic.twitter.com/qXGuiqulVl
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) May 12, 2024
CDO’s impeccable starter Amelia Streuber departed in the inning to an ovation.
Streuber, who entered with a 19-0 record and 0.49 ERA, is only a junior and will have another opportunity to win a state title next season. She is an Oregon State commit.
Macee Jackson, only a sophomore, limited CDO to four hits and one walk while striking out three.
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator in 2016 and is presently a special education teacher at Sunnyside High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District.
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