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Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect NMMI baseball's previous state title wins.

Remember last season鈥檚 4A boys state title game? When Artesia took Grants to extra innings after trailing for virtually the entire game?

That it was Bulldogs third baseman Jack Byers who smacked a ball to center field in the final frame, a hit that likely would鈥檝e brought in two runs and tied the game? But instead of dropping into an open patch of grass, center fielder Boudy Melonas made a diving catch to seal the Pirates鈥� elusive first state title?

And Artesia, the blue trophy almost within its grasp, instead walked away with a red trophy?

鈥淵ou get that salty taste in your mouth after taking the second place title,鈥� Bulldogs junior Jett Whitmire told the Journal on Saturday. 鈥淚t took all year for us to work back and just go for the blue 鈥� that was our motto this year. Go for the blue.

鈥淎nd we didn鈥檛 stop until we got it.鈥�

Redemption 鈥� and, yes, a long-coveted blue trophy 鈥� belongs to the Bulldogs. Artesia never trailed Saturday as they downed Bloomfield 6-3 in the 4A baseball final, clinching the program鈥檚 first state title in 25 years at the Jennifer Riordan Spark Kindness sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Complex.

Whitmire led the top-seeded Bulldogs (25-6) at the plate with three hits, including an RBI triple that got his team on the board in the second inning. Despite Bloomfield making some early contact off starting pitcher Diego Morales, Artesia left the third with a 3-0 lead and a clear path to the program鈥檚 seventh overall title.

But the sixth-seeded Bobcats had their say: Bloomfield tuned up Morales for four consecutive hits in the fourth, tying the game off designated hitter Johnny Yates鈥� two-run double. A brief mound conference ended with the junior pitcher still in with no outs, a simple message running through his head.

鈥淚 just had to settle down and come to the realization that they鈥檙e only getting hits because I鈥檓 missing my spots,鈥� Morales told the Journal, 鈥渁nd then just relax, get some more confidence and just start hitting my spots.鈥�

Which he did. Morales got out of the inning and went on to put Bloomfield down in order in the top of the fifth. The Bulldogs then rewarded him with three runs off six hits in the bottom of the inning, and holding a 6-3 lead Artesia pulled its starter for Charlie Campbell entering the seventh.

Whatever hope Bloomfield had left faded quickly. Campbell 鈥� the driving force behind Artesia鈥檚 4A state basketball title earlier this year 鈥� struck out the side, catching Trae Woods鈥� swinging for the final out. Hats and gloves started flying as the Bulldogs rushed the field immediately for a celebration 25 years in the making.

And like that, a year of sitting with that red trophy was mercifully over.

鈥淚t definitely makes it sweeter,鈥� Artesia head coach Jackson Bickel told the Journal. 鈥淚 mean, you think about that for a whole year 鈥� and even farther back because that was their goal last year. This year, seeing them do it, it鈥檚 just incredible.鈥�

Class 3A

New Mexico Military Institute beat Robertson 7-1 Saturday to win the 3A championship, securing the Colts鈥� second baseball title in the last four years.

Nicolas Barcela Teran led NMMI (22-6) at the plate with three hits and three RBIs. Starting pitcher Tegin Maloney held the Cardinals to one run off four hits as the top-seeded Colts denied No. 3 Robertson鈥檚 pursuit of back-to-back state titles.

Class 2A

Santa Rosa beat Loving 7-6 in Saturday鈥檚 2A title game.

After trailing 5-1 with two innings left, the second-seeded Lions (22-3) posted six runs in the sixth inning to surge from behind to beat the No. 5 Falcons and claim their first state championship since 1981.