Salpointe’s dynasty of a softball program will attempt to win its seventh consecutive state championship when the second-seeded Lancers play No. 1 Flagstaff Coconino in the 4A title game Saturday at 7 p.m. at Arizona State’s Farrington Stadium.
The Lancers (24-6-1) earned another opportunity for a state title with their 8-1 victory over No. 4 Mica Mountain (22-13) on Thursday night at Amphitheater High School.
Salpointe’s starting pitcher against the Thunderbolts, Audri Elias, termed the possibility of extending the championship run a “Sevenpeat.”
“I love them,” Elias said of her teammates after improving her record to 11-1. “Win state. Sevenpeat! Sevenpeat!”
SALPOINTE'S SIX-YEAR TITLE RUN
Salpointe's six consecutive seasons earning a state championship:| Year | Champion | Record | Coach | Opponent | Record | Coach | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Salpointe | 32-4-1 | Amy Rocha | Cactus | 30-5 | Bartt Underwood | 2-0 |
| 2019 | Salpointe | 25-4 | Amy Rocha | Cactus | 32-4 | Bartt Underwood | 6-5 (8 inn.) |
| 2020 | Canceled | COVID-19 | |||||
| 2021 | Salpointe | 24-0 | Amy Rocha | Vista Grande | 18-2 | Rudy Valenzuela | 5-4 |
| 2022 | Salpointe | 31-3 | Tricia Sztan | Canyon del Oro | 33-4 | Kelly Fowler | 10-7 |
| 2023 | Salpointe | 35-1 | Tricia Sztan | Greenway | 29-4 | Janna Frandrup | 2-0 |
| 2024 | Salpointe | 31-4 | Tricia Sztan | Canyon del Oro | 33-3 | Kelly Fowler | 11-0 (5 inn.) |
Salpointe’s last five state titles were won at Arizona’s Hillenbrand Stadium.
The Lancers’ first championship in this unprecedented six-year run — the longest consecutive softball title-winning streak in state history — was at Farrington Stadium against Glendale Cactus in 2018.
Salpointe coach Tricia Sztan, the coach responsible for the last three titles, said the reason for the Lancers’ championship streak comes down to how the players relate to each other and the coaches.
When she was interviewed, her players mounted gloves on her head and shoulders. A pom pom was also placed on her head. Her team then started to do a dance train behind her with the camera rolling.
“Look at them … look at them,” said Sztan, who won a state championship with Salpointe playing for Stacy Iveson in 1993 as a junior. “I get to come out every day and coach these guys. They give me 110 percent. They’re not going to stop now.
“That’s the kicker. They give 110 percent. They’re resilient. They keep moving in the right direction. We grow every year.”
Combine all that with some of the best talent in the state and Salpointe has become unstoppable.
Salpointe coach Tricia Sztan has led the Lancers to their last three state titles in their run of six consecutive. She has Salpointe on the brink of another one. After tonight’s 8-1 win over Mica Mountain in the 4A semifinals, the Lancers will play Flagstaff Coconino for the… pic.twitter.com/qCX7awYL2V
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) May 16, 2025
The Lancers’ record in the last seven state playoffs: 33-1 (see brackets below).
The lone loss: Last season in the semifinal round against Mica Mountain, a 4-2 setback at Amphi.
The Lancers beat the Thunderbolts 10-1 in the next game that night to advance to the state championship, where they beat Canyon del Oro 11-0 at Hillenbrand Stadium.
Faced with the same scenario — facing Mica Mountain in the semifinals at Amphi — the Lancers took care of business Thursday night.
Lilly Mann was one of the many difference makers for Salpointe. She is one of three players who hit home runs for the Lancers in Thursday’s win (Arizona-bound Molli Daley and Sarah Camp were the others). A catcher who was part of Sabino’s 3A state championship team in 2023 as a freshman, Mann is one game away from winning a 4A state title with Salpointe after transferring there this school year.
Lilly Mann went from one state championship-caliber program at Sabino when she started there two years ago as a freshman to now at Salpointe as a junior. Her HR today was one of three for the Lancers in their 8-1 victory over Mica Mountain in a 4A semifinal game. pic.twitter.com/o5KQF4xnuo
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) May 16, 2025
“I mean, I had to go get another ring,” Mann said. “I wanted to push myself and work my hardest. These coaches really make me work my hardest and play hard. The school is just a great school.
“I love it here.”
Mann’s home run to lead off the second inning opened the scoring. Pinch-runner Soli Ramos later scored on a wild pitch in the inning for a 2-0 lead. Ramos replaced Camp, who walked. She stole second and moved to third on a grounder before the wild pitch.
Jocelyn Gastellum hit an RBI single in the the bottom of the fourth to increase the lead to 3-0.
Mica Mountain’s lone run came in the top of the fifth on Shaylee Fuell’s RBI single.
Elias pitched an effective 4 2/3 innings at that point, allowing only two hits (the run scored on Fuell’s hit was unearned) with three walks and two strikeouts. Macee Jackson entered in relief and did not allow a hit in 2 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and no walks.
“They’re definitely a great 1-2 punch,” Sztan said. “They command the plate. They change speeds. They do everything we ask them to do, and they have a lot of fun doing it, too.”
Audri Elias with the win over Mica Mountain to send Salpointe to 4A state championship to be played Saturday night at ASU. pic.twitter.com/99Kv8YhSYj
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) May 16, 2025
Daley hit her home run in the bottom of the fifth and Brooke Wild followed with an RBI double. CC Moraga’s RBI single — her third hit of the game — increased the lead to 6-1.
Camp’s two-run home run off the left-field foul pole accounted for the last two runs of the game.
“This is just a great team win,” Daley said. “Everyone was in it. Every single person in that dugout. Every person on the field.
“Both pitchers, Audri and Macee, we all came together and got the job done.”
Molli Daley had a home run against Mica Mountain to help Salpointe advance to the championship game for the seventh straight year. https://t.co/PSIkvcFK6J pic.twitter.com/VLsFi2E7pu
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) May 16, 2025
Mica Mountain starter Acelynn–Rose Heston has another opportunity next year as a senior to lead her program past Salpointe after coming up short against the juggernaut the last two seasons in the semifinal round. She finished 15-7 this season, with one of the wins against Salpointe on April 15 at home.
Coconino (30-4) is in the 4A state title game after beating Poston Butte 13-2 in five innings at Prescott on Thursday. The Panthers survived an extra-inning scare at home against Sahuarita in a third-round game Saturday. The Mustangs led 2-1 with two outs in the bottom of the eighth before Coconino rallied for two runs to win the game 3-2.
SALPOINTE’S BRACKETS SINCE 2018 (can only be viewed on computers)
2018 AIA Softball State Championships Conference 4A
2019 AIA Softball State Championships Conference 4A
2021 AIA Softball State Championships (Arizona) Conference 4A
AIA (Arizona) 2022 4A State Softball Championships Top Bracket
AIA (Arizona) 2022 4A State Softball Championships 4A Semis & Finals
2023 AIA 4A, 5A Softball Championships (Arizona) 4A
2024 AIA 4A, 5A Softball Championships (Arizona) 4A – A
Recommended for you
