Lady Warriors Split Double-Header at Benedictine (Mesa)

The Nelson Lady Warriors softball team (6-8) showed incredible heart and resilience on the road at Benedictine University in Mesa, splitting a doubleheader with the Red Hawks—falling 7-5 in Game 1 but storming back for a dramatic 10-9 walk-off comeback victory in Game 2 to keep their momentum rolling.

Game 1: Benedictine 7, Nelson 5
Benedictine jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, putting the Warriors in an early hole. Nelson chipped away with single runs in the second and third innings to cut the deficit in half at 4-2, but the Red Hawks responded with one more in the bottom of the third to make it 5-2 after three.

The Warriors' fighting spirit shone through though in the top of the fourth when, with runners on second and third to open the inning, Catalina Sanchez ripped a triple down the right-field line that scored both Estevannie Rojas and Charli York, slicing the lead to 5-4. Soon after, Amber Lopez reached on an error and stole second, putting more pressure on the Red Hawks. Briyanei Celaya then grounded out to second, but the play allowed both lead runners to advance with Sanchez scoring from third to tie the game at 5-5.

The score stayed knotted until the bottom of the fifth, when Benedictine finally broke through a final time for two runs to reclaim the lead at 7-5. The Warriors threatened late but couldn't push across the tying or go-ahead runs, dropping the opener by that same score.

Game 2: Nelson 10, Benedictine 9
There was no hangover from the Game 1 loss (which snapped a four-game winning streak) for the Warriors as the Nelson women came out swinging in the top of the first. Briyanei Celaya opened the game with a single, Estevannie Rojas drove her in with a double, and Stephany Aguirre followed with a single to center that plated Rojas for an early 2-0 lead.

Benedictine answered with two runs in the bottom of the first to tie the game where the score remained until the third inning. In the top of the inning, Nelson exploded for four runs when Aguirre drove in Destiny Medina, Emily Quigg plated Rojas, Isenya Silva singled home Quigg, and Catalina Sanchez added an RBI single to drive in Silva, pushing the lead to 6-2.

The fourth inning was more of the same for the Warriors who fortuitously added two more runs. With runners on first and second and two outs, Emily Quigg lined a shot down the right-field line for a triple that drove both in, stretching the advantage to 8-2.

But no lead is safe in softball – and Benedictine had no interest in rolling over and taking the loss. In the bottom of the fifth, the Red Hawks erupted for seven runs on six hits and one error flipping the score to 9-8 and loading the bases before the third out mercifully ended the threat. The deluge occurred against starter Araeya Cosay, who was otherwise masterful on the night.

Down 9-8 heading into the top of the seventh, and just three outs from defeat, the Warriors showed they never know when to quit. After Vanessa Philpot walked and Sanchez singled to put runners on first and second, Amber Lopez laid down a beautiful sacrifice bunt to first, advancing both runners. With the pressure of the game on her shoulders, Celaya then stepped up, took a long cleansing breath, stared the pitcher down, and lined a hard double down the left-field line to drive in both runners, retaking the lead at 10-9. You could almost hear the swelling, mythical music from The Natural as Celaya celebrated on second base.

Benedictine gave it one final push in the bottom of the seventh, putting runners on first and second with no outs. But Cosay buckled down, induced the next three outs, and slammed the door to earn the victory she so richly deserved.

Catalina Sanchez finished 4-7 on the day, including three hits in Game 2, while Briyanei Celaya, Estevannie Rojas, Stephany Aguirre, and Emily Quigg each recorded two hits in the second game.

The split showed all everything this Lady Warriors squad has been building toward: explosive offense, clutch hitting in big moments, relentless fight-back ability, and a never-say-die mentality that refuses to accept defeat until the final out. The Lady Warriors are rolling, believing, and proving they belong. This team is dangerous – and they're just getting started.

See the Nelson Warriors' softball page for their upcoming schedule.

Do not forget to follow Nelson Athletics on X at @NelsonWarriors and Instagram at @nelsonwarriors.athletics.