Carlsbad softball tops Centennial for Class 5A title
Jason Groves
Top-seeded Carlsbad beat Centennial 13-6 for the Class 5A softball championship on Saturday at the University of New Mexico.
Carlsbad won its first state championship since 2010 after appearing in the big school final four times since then, including the last two tournament championship games in 2019 and 2021.
Carlsbad finished the season 30-1 and advanced to Saturday's championship game with wins over Piedra Vista, La Cueva and a 9-7 win over Alamogordo. Carlsbad outhit Centennial 11-7, but trailed 5-2 in the third inning after a run scoring hit from CHS outfielder Alina Estrada.
Carlsbad chipped away at the lead and tied the game at 5-5 before exploding for five runs in the bottom of the fifth and three more in the sixth to lead 13-5.
Centennial finished the season 25-8, advancing to Saturday's championship game after winning four straight elimination games with wins against No. 4 La Cueva, No. 9 Piedra Vista and a 12-10 win over District 3-5A rival Alamogordo on Friday in the loser's bracket.