Cavegirls Battle Clovis in District Inaugural

kmarksteiner0
4 minutes ago
2 min read

By Don Eskins

For the young Cavegirl softball team, 2026 has been a very different kind of year. As District 4/5A play gets set to kick off, Carlsbad sits at a very uncharacteristic 5-9.

But, in a rebuilding year with a very young pitching staff, the Cavegirls have shown signs of growth.

However, the question is, have they grown enough to repeat as District 4/5A champions?

Taking a look at what they’ll be facing against their conference rivals, the answer to that question is yes, most definitely!

Only the 8-5 Hobbs Eagles have navigated the pre-conference season with a winning record. As with Carlsbad, both the 4-10 Roswell Coyotes and the 3-10 Clovis Wildcats have been struggling.

So, with no clear-cut dominant favorite, this year’s race for the District 4/5A title appears to be wide open.

Regarded as the second season, all teams in District 4/5A will be starting out at 0-0. That can only fire up CHS’s drive to win another conference crown.

“We have had a rough start this year, but our kids have played one of the toughest, if not the toughest schedule in the state,” said Cavegirl head coach Brian Santo. “Even at that, our kids have played some good softball and beaten some good teams this year. We just haven’t come together yet.

“We are a capable team, though. If we can come together, I feel confident about our kids’ chances of repeating as District 4/5A champions,” he said. “District time is a second season, full of opportunities. It’s the perfect time for our kids to turn our season around.”

The Cavegirls will open conference play against the Clovis Wildcats in Clovis on Tuesday, April 14. Game times are set for 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Top batsmen for the Cavegirls as they head into conference play are .300+ club, Marisela Reyes, .433; Katrina Ortega, .395; Makayla Chester, .372; Brooklyn Cook, .350; Anya Rentner, .333; and Addilyn Smith, .318. (Minimum of 20 at-bats). As a team, the Cavegirls are hitting .306.

The Cavegirls closed out their pre-district season in Carlsbad on Tuesday, April 7, with a doubleheader loss to the Artesia Bulldogs. The Dogs swept the Cavegirls 7-4, 4-1.

“Although we dropped two to Artesia, I saw some very positive things from our girls, things we can continue to build and grow on,” said Santo. “And dropping two to Artesia shouldn’t dampen our girls’ drive to make a run at this year’s district championship. That’s all still in front of us, and still very attainable.”

Game 1

AHS 0 3 0 0 4 0 0 7

CHS 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 4

Leaders: Katrina Ortega, 1-3; Reyes Marisela, 2-3, R, 2RBI; Makayla Chester, 1-3; Allyson Madrid, 1-2, R, 2B; Daisha Nieto, 1-4, RBI, 2B; Kendra Ortega, 1-3, R; Anya Rentner, 2-4, R; LP (Jr) Katrina Ortega, 7in-7H-7R-7ER-5BB-9K.

Game 2

AHS 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 4

CHS 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1

Leaders: Brooklyn Cook, 1-2, 3B; Marisela Reyes, 2-3, RBI, 2B; Makayla Chester, 1-3, R; A. Vallejos, 1-3; Allyson Madrid, 1-3; LP (Fr) Emory Bland, 7in-6H-4R-3ER-6BB-4K.