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Flagstaff High School's softball team took the lead in the first inning over Greenway and never looked back in an 11-4 home victory on Saturday to open the team's first playoff run with manager Tomas Hernandez.

The No. 6-seeded Eagles jumped out to a quick start in the opening round of the 4A Conference state tournament, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning, one in the second and three in the third. The 11th-seeded Demons scored three runs in the top of the third inning, attempting to mount a comeback.

After a slow fourth inning for the Eagles, the team bounced back in the fifth and added five more runs on top of their lead.

Hernandez talked about his strategy going into the game on Saturday.

“We worked a lot on our hitting and getting the ball in play because we need to score runs,� he said. “We put up 11 runs today, so it was a good plan.�

Eagles junior Ryleigh Alex knocked in three runs and sophomore Sophia Garcia went 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles.

Eagles junior pitcher Caliee Culwell pitched seven innings.

“You know we’ve worked hard,� Hernandez said. “I’m super pleased with our performance today.�

After a 1-2-3 fourth inning, the Eagles looked to bounce back. Hernandez said he didn’t have trouble getting team morale back up because of his coaching mentality on facing the Demons before the game.

“[The Demons' pitcher] was throwing well at first, but we knew that we’d break her down by the end of the game,� he said. “It was a tough inning, but keeping positive and getting back out there, we knew we would win.�

Hernandez, in his first year with the program, talked about how special this team is and how he feels about a playoff run with his new team.

“This team has been through a lot, you know,� he said. “I came in after the season started, so I felt a little extra pressure to give them a special season."

After a three-game losing streak -- with two of the defeats coming against their rival Coconino, the No. 1 seed -- the Eagles broke their bad luck by going on a winning streak, with Saturday's victory marking their third consecutive win. 

The Eagles have had some playoff experience in the past few seasons -- two first-round exits in 2021 and 2022, but they made it past the first round in 2023. In 2024, they advanced to the quarterfinals.

Looking forward, Flagstaff faces off against the No. 14 seed, Poston Butte Broncos, on Tuesday. The Eagles will get to host the game because Poston Butte upset No. 3-seeded Paradise Honors over the weekend. A win for the Eagles would mean tying last year’s playoff run with hopes of continuing their trend of going further in the playoffs each year.

Hernandez is “ecstatic� about hosting a playoff game in Flagstaff again.

“It’s good to be home,� he said, “Getting teams up to 7,000 feet and playing at our elevation is a huge advantage.�