Mavericks complete a 2016-17 prep title trifecta

Baseball title added to the trophy case

The 2016-17 high school sports year will be remembered for a long time in Lordsburg.

Class 2A state championship trophies in football and boys basketball are already in the Mavericks’ possession. Now they can add a baseball trophy, the first in school history, to the mix.

Top-seeded Lordsburg erupted for 10 runs in the seventh inning to pull away from No. 6 Mesilla Valley Christian 13-2 in the 1A/2A final on Friday at Isotopes Park.

“Honestly, I’m at a loss for words right now,” Mavericks coach Mike Newell said. “I knew we came into this game with our best pitcher and the best defense that we’ve ever had, and finally an offense that we needed for a while.”

Lordsburg (17-2) was clinging to a 3-2 lead going into the seventh. Mesilla Valley starter Josh Castillo, however, was beginning to tire.

“We kind of knew that Josh Castillo would be exiting soon,” Newell said. “As many times as you see a pitcher, eventually you catch up to him. We just hit the ball.”

The first four Mavericks batters reached on a single, hit by pitch, walk and single. All would come around to score.

With two outs and no one left on base, Castillo gave up another single and was finally pulled. It did not save the SonBlazers (12-5), who would give up another six runs.

Mavericks starter Johnny Plowman tossed 5⅔ innings, allowing just two runs, with the first scoring on a balk in the third inning. It was personally important for him to get Lordsburg that elusive blue trophy after a family member came up short in the title game in 2004.

“It’s been my dream since I was 6,” said Plowman, who also went 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI. “My brother (Scotty Esquivel) was the pitcher that day. I had a lot to live up to, and we came out on top.”