Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald:Reymie Contreras (2) delivers a pitch against Hayden on April 19. Duncan trailed 12-14 after six innings but the visiting Lobos added six runs in the seventh for the final score. The Wildkats succumbed in the regular season finale at Desert Christian on April 23 and in the state first-round pairing with Bagdad on April 26, both in abbreviated games. Duncan ended with a 7-13 overall record. The Duncan junior was selected to the South All-Region first team.
By Raymundo Frasquillo
DUNCAN – The Shane Dunagan-coached No. 16 Duncan 2024 softball team had three players selected for 1A South All-Region Honors.
Class of 2025 member Reymia Contreras was voted on the first team, and both Elizabeth Basteen (2025) and Paisley Patton (2027) were selected to the second team.
Contreras struck out 102, walked 88, grazed 17, and yielded a .471 (180-382) batting average while facing 482 batters during 68 innings. She batted 333 (15-45) with 13 RBIs, two doubles, and a home run while playing in 17 games.
Basteen batted .217 (10-46) with nine RBIs, a double, and a triple while playing in 18 games. Patton batted .532 (25-47) with 32 RBIs, five doubles, four triples, and nine home runs while playing in 16 games. Statistics for the first game of the doubleheader with Baboquivari (37-15 win) and the state first-round game with Bagdad (0-31 loss) were not included.
Final 1A South Region standings were Saint David (18-5-1 overall, 14-3 seeding, 11-1 region) first, San Manuel (20-8-1, 12-3, 10-2) second, Tucson Desert Christian (19-5-2, 13-3, 9-3) third, Elfrida Valley Union (9-19, 7-10, 5-7) fourth, Duncan (7-13, 7-10, 4-8) fifth, Kearny Ray (8-20, 6-12, 3-9) sixth, and Sells Baboquivari (2-13, 2-13, 0-12) seventh.
Duncan averaged a 12-15 (247-304) score per game or a 3-run deficit through 20 games. Duncan is expected to return the bulk of its roster as only three will be lost to graduation, Aubrey Evans (1), Karly Coats (8), and Carlie Paz (10).
Five South Region teams qualified for the first round with four advancing to the quarterfinals. The No. 16 Duncan Wildkats fell 0-31 (5 inn) to No. 1 Bagdad and No. 14 Valley Union Blue Devils 8-21 (4 inn) to No. 3 Williams while the No. 5 San Manuel Miners, the No. 4 Saint David Tigers, and the No. 6 Tucson Desert Christian Eagles defeated No. 12 Glendale Desert Heights Prep 25-0 (4 inn), No. 13 Ash Fork/Seligman 11-0 (5 inn), and No. 11 Wellton Antelope 16-3 (5 inn), respectively, in the first round on April 26.
Saint David downed San Manuel 9-4 while Desert Christian fell 3-7 to No. 3 Williams in the quarterfinals on May 1; Saint David fell 0-10 (5 inn) to No. 1 Bagdad and No. 2 Joseph City slipped past Williams 14-11 in the semifinals on May 3, and Joseph City ran past Bagdad 26-4 (5 inn) for the title on May 6.
Duncan has gone one and done in its six previous state meet qualifying seasons. The Wildkats fell 1-34 (5 inn) to No. 1 Williams as No. 16 in 2021, 1-8 to No. 2 Saint David as No. 15 in 2019, 4-8 to North No. 4 Seligman as East No. 1 in 2011, 9-10 to North No. 4 Fredonia as East No. 1 in 2010, 0-22 to North No. 1 Bagdad as East No. 1 in 2009, and 0-9 to West No. 2 Phoenix Valley Lutheran as East No. 3 in 2008.
1A South Region POY, COY
Desert Christian landed player of the year honors for sophomore infielder Alexa Yarger and coach of the year honors for Simon Crawford; Saint David had the region defensive player of the year in sophomore pitcher/infielder Paisley Gooding, and San Manuel the offensive player of the year in junior catcher/infielder Laila Ruiz.
1A South All-Region First Team (13)
Duncan had junior pitcher/infielder Reymia Contreras (2) on the first team.
The rest of the first team was made up of Saint David junior catcher/infielder Austyn Hatch (18), senior catcher/infielder Anissa Jacquez (12), sophomore infielder Emelynn Jacquez (5), and sophomore outfielder/infielder Gracey Crockett (9); San Manuel senior pitcher Julianna Garcia (1), sophomore outfielder Mariah Villalba (18), and senior infielder/pitcher Jasmine Sanchez (20); Desert Christian junior catcher/infielder Aimee Lloyd (21), junior infielder Lilly Crawford (22), and senior outfielder/infielder Anika Mulkey (11); Valley Union seniors Breiah Two Moons (00) and Courtney Noble (7).
1A South All-Region Second Team (15)
Duncan junior infielder/outfielder Elizabeth Basteen (21) and freshman catcher/utility Paisley Patton (14) were selected to the second team.
Also on the second team were Saint David freshman infielder Emma Hart (6), freshman infielder/pitcher Camber Jacquez (13), and sophomore infielder/outfielder Jasmine Wise (16); San Manuel junior outfielder Jazlynn Clark (2); Desert Christian freshman pitcher/infielder Kaitlyn Farias (12), freshman infielder/catcher Cali Smith (24), sophomore outfielder/infielder Emmy Welch (2), and senior outfielder/infielder Lauren Svacha (16); Valley Union junior Lexi Boss (15) and senior Kali Prudler (16); Ray senior pitcher/infielder Madison Kenney (25), senior outfielder/infielder Cambria Garcia (2), and sophomore catcher Makayla Barajas (24).
