Los Lunas softball routs Albuquerque High, gains playoff tiebreak edge

A pair of six-run innings turned Los Lunas’ trip to Albuquerque High into a postseason statement. The Tigers rolled 14-3 on Tuesday, April 28, and with it moved into position to control the District 5-5A race if the two teams finish level.

Los Lunas did its damage in waves, breaking the game open with six runs in the fifth inning and then stacking six more in the seventh. Callista Gayle Bertrand supplied one of the biggest swings of the night with a two-run homer, while Haidyn Garley, Ashley Baca, Kayanna Jiron, Kelsie DeGraaf and Bertrand were shown celebrating the win for Los Lunas High School.

The result lifted Los Lunas to 20-5 overall and 7-1 in district play. Albuquerque High entered at 20-3 and 6-1, but Los Lunas now holds the head-to-head tiebreak edge after losing to the Bulldogs 9-7 in Los Lunas on April 10. If both programs finish district play tied for first, that edge gives the Tigers the inside track. Even so, the New Mexico Activities Association could still place Albuquerque High ahead of Los Lunas in the state bracket if the Bulldogs’ overall resume is judged stronger.

Los Lunas coach Patrick Ortiz said the Tigers were chasing a repeat district title and a deep playoff run. “Our goal at the end of the year was to repeat as district champions and hopefully make a run at it,” Ortiz said. That goal now runs through the final district standings and the state bracket release scheduled for Sunday, May 4, with the 2026 state softball championships set for May 6-16.

For Valencia County, the win carried more than one night’s scoreline. It left Los Lunas with a direct path to a district crown, a top-seed argument and the kind of momentum that can matter once bracket play begins. With the Tigers already at 20 wins and Bertrand delivering the knockout blow, the next results will decide whether this rout becomes the turning point in a championship chase.