Artesia senior Charlie Campbell IV does his routine of touching first base after the end of the inning out against Goddard in the state playoff game.
Daniel Zuniga
Albuquerque — It was an instant classic at the Riordan Spark Kindness Sports Complex on Thursday. In a game defined by grit and razor-thin margins, the Artesia Bulldogs emerged with a 3-2 victory over St. Pius X, punching their ticket to the 4A semifinals for the fourth consecutive year.
The Bulldogs (21-8) survived a grueling nail-biter that was not decided until the final out.
“It was a great win,” Artesia head coach Jackson Bickel said. “St. Pius is a very good team, and they played hard, but our guys found a way to win. That’s what you have to do this time of year.”
The game was scoreless until the third inning, when Artesia broke through. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out, and junior catcher Frankie Galindo delivered a clutch two-run single to center field, giving Artesia a 2-0 lead.
St. Pius X (19-8) answered in the bottom of the fourth. The Sartans used a pair of hits and a Bulldog error to cut the lead to 2-1.
Artesia added what proved to be the winning run in the top of the sixth. Senior outfielder Nye Estrada led off with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly by senior first baseman Diego Wesson.
The Sartans did not go quietly. In the bottom of the seventh, they mounted a serious threat, scoring a run and putting the tying run on third with two outs. However, Artesia reliever Jack Byers—known for his high-velocity “email” on the mound—stayed cool under pressure, inducing a flyout to right field to end the game and ignite the Bulldog celebration.
Byers earned the save in relief of starter Kaden Grantham, who pitched five solid innings to pick up the win.
“Our pitchers were outstanding today,” Bickel said. “Kaden gave us a great start, and Jack came in and shut the door. They both showed a lot of heart.”
The Bulldogs now turn their attention to the semifinals, where they will face Deming, a familiar foe in their quest for their second blue trophy.