Softball Recap: Jal Victorious

It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Jal had no problem doing just that on Wednesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-6 win over the Hozho Academy Wolves. This was payback for the Panthers, who suffered a 7-3 defeat the last time these two teams met.

Johnna Butts

Base on Balls Against

05/06/26 @ Hozho Academy	2
05/06/26 vs Mesilla Valley Christian School	1
04/28/26 vs Loving	1

Johnna Butts made a big impact no matter where she played. She pitched seven innings while giving up five earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March.

Butts wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Karisma Rodriguez, who went 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Yanira Sauceda was another, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

The victory made it two in a row for Jal and bumps their season record up to 16-8. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of 1.5 runs across that stretch. As for Hozho Academy, with the loss, they broke their four-game winning streak and moved their record to 23-4.

Jal didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next game, a 9-7 win against Raton on the 13th. As for Hozho Academy, they have also already played their next matchup, a 17-1 victory against Mora on the 13th.