AURORA >> Throughout much of recent history, Holy Family softball seemed to have all of the right pieces to make a deep run in the Class 4A state tournaments. But ever since Lutheran made the jump from 3A in 2022, the Tigers haven’t been able to figure out the Lions.

For the third straight year, the Lions robbed them of a chance at their fifth championship in program history, this time in the state semifinals. Lutheran’s offense asserted itself early on Saturday at the Aurora Sports Park, maintaining contorl throughout while the Tigers pounded on the door in a 5-2 final.

The Lions’ success boiled mostly down to the opening three innings, during which they accumulated four runs while throwing an ironclad defense at Holy Family. They carried that theme into their 1-0 title-game victory over No. 2 Windsor later in the afternoon.

“They’re just our rivals, and they’re good competition,” senior ace Izzy Arroyo said. “It sucks losing to them. I don’t know, in four years I may reflect on this and be like, ‘Darn Lutheran,’ but it gave us a hell of a game. I mean, at least I left with a good game. That’s all I could ever ask for.”

The Tulsa commit took on the entirety of the pitching responsibilities for the Tigers on Saturday, striking out six batters while giving up four earned runs. She transferred that talent straight into the batter’s box, where she and senior catcher Makaila Moosbrugger each picked up two of the team’s five hits.

The Tigers first hit paydirt in the top of the second inning, when senior Ali Arambula brought Giuliana Magnetti home on a sacrifice fly to tie things up at 1-1. The Lions picked up three more scores before Holy Family crossed home plate again. That came by way of a Mari Nanez groundout that allowed Arambula to score in the top of the fifth.

Holy Family ran out of gas after that. The Tigers finished their 2024 campaign with a 21-7 record, falling just short of the “fairytale ending” that head coach Moriah Nguyen hoped would come to pass.

The band that balanced seven seniors and five freshmen, after a bit of a roller-coaster to start the season, molded a strong identity in the end.

“This program, whether we win or lose, our coaches instill so much character into us through hard work, competing for each other and being a selfless person,” Moosbrugger said. “I wouldn’t be the person that I am today without these coaches and my teammates and the seniors that have come before me. This program means everything because it shaped me into the person I am, and it’s allowed me to help shape some of the younger girls as well.”