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Then the Ravens ran into Claire Achilles.

Tanque Verde’s standout sophomore dominated from the circle and provided power from the plate in one of the biggest upsets of the 2025 season on April 21 — if you want to call it that.

While the Ravens were ranked No. 1 in 3A at the time, the Hawks were No. 6. They’re now No. 5. Entering Monday’s regular-season finale vs. Desert Christian, Tanque Verde had lost only once since March 21, by a score of 1-0 against Sabino.

The Hawks wouldn’t be soaring this high without Achilles. Entering Monday’s game, she with a 0.67 ERA. She was tied for third in wins (12), ranked fifth in strikeouts (145) and was tied for fourth in home runs (nine).

“She’s the total package,� Tanque Verde coach Mark Stevens said. “She’s the heart of this team.�

Stevens lauded Achilles for her skill on the field as well as her leadership off it. Tanque Verde assistant coach Izzy Pacho, an Ironwood Ridge product who played for Arizona from 2019-23, took it a step further.

“I think she has the highest potential out of anyone in Tucson, honestly,� Pacho said. “She’s at a point right now where she’s throwing great games and attacking the zone and owning the mound and is in full control of the game. With that, she’s still young. So she still has room to grow and things to work on.

“The thing I love the most about her is that she loves this game and she’s just such a good person off the field.

“When you talk about that ‘it’ factor of what differentiates good from great, she has it.�

Achilles’ love for the game was tested — and eventually reinforced — when she missed most of her freshman season because of an injury.

Achilles was pitching in the semifinals of a high-level club tournament in California in October 2023 when she felt something pop in her back. She had suffered a scapula fracture in her right side. It was only the second inning, so Achilles kept pitching. It probably wasn’t the wisest course of action, in retrospect, but Achilles is a fierce competitor. She wasn’t going to take herself out.

Her mother, Erin, is a former nurse. Once she figured out what the injury was, her daughter had to shut it down. Claire then embarked on a long, intensive rehab process that included twice-weekly trips to Phoenix for physical therapy. Achilles underwent , needling and cupping, among other treatments. She built up the muscles around the injury and strengthened the other side of her body.

None of it was fun.

“It was devastating,� Achilles, 15, said of having to sit out. “I hated it. It sucked.�

But in the long run, that experience made her better.

“It was really hard for her at the beginning, not knowing what her role was and not knowing what was needed from her for the team,� Pacho said. “She got to sit back and learn about culture, about game situations, being a good teammate.

“I always say everything happens for a reason and I think last year made her a better player, even though she couldn’t physically do the work.�

“She learned how much she loves the game,� Erin Achilles added, “how much the game is a part of who she is and her structure in life, how far she can be pushed, her threshold for discomfort. It was a huge growth period for her.�

After suffering a setback in January, Achilles returned for Tanque Verde’s playoff push last spring. She pitched in the Hawks’ final four games, helping them reach the 3A semifinals, where they lost to Empire, 6-0. The Ravens would win the state championship eight days later, part of a 39-game winning streak that ended April 21.

Achilles and Tanque Verde flipped the script in the rematch, winning 5-1 on a warm, windy afternoon at TVHS. Achilles pitched a complete game, allowing one unearned run and three hits while striking out 11 batters and walking only one. She outdueled Empire senior ace Kendall Freidinger and homered off her in the bottom of the fourth inning, giving the Hawks a 2-0 lead. Sara Hoagland’s three-run homer made it 5-0 in the bottom of the sixth.

The Ravens scored one run in the seventh. Achilles ended the game with a strikeout.

Achilles and her teammates were fired up to say the least. But it went beyond beating No. 1.

The Hawks wore jerseys honoring Nikki Cantalicio, the mother of freshman catcher Aubrey Cantalicio. Nikki died on April 18, 2024, .

“Hey, I got you this game,� Claire told Aubrey. “I’m gonna pitch this game for you.�

“The shirt we’re wearing is very near and dear for us,� Achilles said afterward. “We played for that family today. We came out here thinking that we are going to have to play our best and we cannot have mistakes.�

Achilles did her part with pure power. Only a couple of Empire hitters were able to pull the ball, if they made contact at all.

The second-oldest of Erin and Jon Achilles’ four children, Claire was always a physical force. She played soccer until she was 6.

“They took me out of soccer because I kept on running people over,� Achilles said. “They said that wasn’t OK. I had to agree with them.�

Local softball coach Stan Rome happened to be a family friend. He saw a softball player in Claire. She fell in love with the game and by age 10 became a pitcher. She has developed into a two-way threat with a similar build and game to Arizona’s Devyn Netz, who’s also one of her mentors. Achilles even wears Netz’s No. 34 when she plays club ball.

Achilles is honing her pitching skills under a former UA standout, . College offers are bound to come Achilles’ way when they officially can be sent on Sept. 1.

For now she’s focusing on the upcoming AIA playoffs. Pacho predicted at least one state championship, if not more, for Tanque Verde, which has only one senior, Rylee Oathout, on its roster.

The Hawks likely will go as far as Achilles can take them. She’s ready to put them on her fully healthy back.

“She drives that ship,� Erin Achilles said. “When she makes up her mind, she does it.

“This isn’t a singular thing. There’s no joking around when it comes to softball. It’s all serious for her. All gas.�

Fast Five with Claire

Who is the unsung hero on your team and why?

Definitely Mikaela Jackson. She seriously just comes out and balls. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve (experienced) a day where she hasn’t just come out and just balls-to-the-wall given everything.

What artists or songs do you listen to when you’re working out?

Ooh, that’s a good one. Definitely some Tupac (Shakur), Jay-Z. Definitely ’90s stuff.

Do you have a game-day ritual and/or superstition?

I like to come to school early and I like to just try and bang out all my schoolwork in the morning and study for everything that I have the next day so I don’t have to worry about it. Superstition is, when I step on the field, I take a deep breath and I shake my arms. Every time you’ll see me pitch, I’ll come out here and I’ll shake my arms. I’ll be like, “OK, here you go. Here’s your reset.�

What is your favorite current class?

That’s a good one. I like history or biology. I want to do criminology or psychology in college, go the FBI route. I really like that stuff.

Who is your favorite all-time softball player?

Devyn Netz. I absolutely love her. She’s my pitching coach. She’s amazing. She’s also a two-way player. I’ve been working at my two-way this year.