By Jaden Wright
La Cueva’s softball season started off with a bang with the softball rolling through all their competition, winning the Metro Championship and posting a 14-2 record so far.
“Just being able to make it to the Metro Championship is a big accomplishment for the team and a big boost for us.” freshman star pitcher Lainey Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz has been clutch for the Bears all season with a 1.91 earned-run average (ERA) and has pitched in many big games. She is one of the only freshman starters. “As a freshman I've held my own,” she said, “but you always have to show up every practice and game to prove your spot on the field.”
The Bears are fourth-ranked in the state as of March 30 and continue to impress on the field after making a wild comeback to defeat Volcano Vista 13-10. At the plate they are leaning heavily on junior outfielder Addison (Addy) Byers, who has a team-leading seven home runs.
When talking about the championship game, freshman catcher Hailey King said, “When Ciana (Perez) and Addy (Byers) hit a home run we knew we had a shot to come back and win.”
The Bears have been on a roll all season and continue to smash the competition. “The girls bring high energy to every game we are yelling and screaming. We go in with the intensity to win every game,” King said.
The Bears end their regular season against rival Eldorado will try hard to finish strong going into the state tournament, where they might square up against top-ranked Carlsbad, which beat La Cueva 10-0 in last year's state semifinals. The Bears are looking to win their first state title since the 2017 season.