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YORBA LINDA — Marina pitcher Mia Valbuena thrust her arms down and quickly walked toward her dugout after capping a historic victory with a strikeout.
The Vikings’ intense duels in the Sunset League paid off Saturday as they followed their ace to a 4-0 triumph at Yorba Linda in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball semifinals.
Mia Valbuena #34 of Marina pitches. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Liz Byer #13 of Marina is out at first base when Jacie Jerotz #27 of Yorba Linda forced her out in the first inning. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Ava Kim #2 of Marina rounds second base after hitting a home run in the fourth inning. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Liliya Cartledge #39 of Yorba Linda catches a fly ball in the fourth inning. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Courtney Hames #3 of Marina is tagged out at home by Allison Jochum #13 of Yorba Linda in the fourth inning. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Liz Byer #13 of Marina gets an RBI in the fourth inning. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Marina players wait for Ava Kim #2 of Marina after she hit a home run in the fourth inning. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Marina players wait for Ava Kim #2 of Marina after she hit a home run in the fourth inning. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Rachel Ruiz #9 of Marina catches a fly ball in the third inning. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Marina players wait for Ava Kim #2 of Marina after she hit a home run in the fourth inning. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Marina players wait for Ava Kim #2 of Marina after she hit a home run in the fourth inning. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Avi Valbuena #43 of Marina flies out in the second inning. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Jacie Jerotz #27 of Yorba Linda stands at second base as Halle Piramo #23 of Marina celebrates hitting a double. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Brooke Boyd #55 of Yorba Linda dives for a foul ball. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Courtney Hames #3 of Marina is tagged out at home by Allison Jochum #13 of Yorba Linda in the fourth inning. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Yorba Linda seen during the team introductions before Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Mia Valbuena #34 of Marina pitches in the first inning. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Halle Piramo #23 of Marina reaches second base on a double. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Samantha Cook #5 of Yorba Linda pithes in the first inning. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Claire Gress #8 of Yorba Linda is safe at first base when Ava Kim #2 of Marina bobbled the ball. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Saige Block #11 of Yorba Linda rounds second base. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Samantha Cook #5 of Yorba Linda pitches. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) Show Caption1 of 22Mia Valbuena #34 of Marina pitches. Yorba Linda hosted Marina in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoff on May 24, 2025 in Yorba Linda CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) ExpandValbuena, a junior committed to Michigan, leaned on her riseball to throw a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts and two walks.
Ava Kim added a solo home run and Halle Piramo went 3 for 3 with two doubles and two RBIs to lead Marina (18-13), the third-place team from the Sunset League.
The Vikings will appear in their first section final since 1995 when they play Westlake next week in Irvine.
“It’s a really big advantage over some other teams because we play good teams throughout the entire year,” Valbuena said of the competition in the Sunset League. “We’re always working on getting better and competing with the top teams.”
Valbuena (18-10) continued her dominant run through the playoffs. In her battery with catcher Gabriella DiBenedetto, she notched her fourth complete game and third shutout in four postseason starts.
Yorba Linda’s Saige Block, a freshman shortstop, broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff single in the sixth.
“We haven’t seen a riseball pitcher all year,” Yorba Linda coach Emily Salazar said of Valbuena. “She definitely got us with the high stuff and the speed. She’s definitely a very good pitcher.”
Marina supported Valbuena by pressuring Yorba Linda starter Samantha Cook (11-4) with a combination of seven hits and five sacrifice bunts.
Kim, a sophomore first baseman, led off the fourth by sending a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left for a solo home run, her third.
“I just knew that she wanted to pitch a strike (and) that she’s not going to want to go full-count,” Kim said of her at-bat. “She left it hanging.”
Piramo, a junior left fielder, opened the fifth with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Eva Mazzotti. Two batters later, Piramo scored on a single by Liz Byer as the Vikings opened a 2-0 lead.
In the sixth, Piramo pushed the lead to 4-0 on a two-run double.
“We all work together and we’re always listening to our coaches (Dan Hay and Shelly Luth),” Piramo said of Marina’s offense, which is averaging six runs in the playoffs. “We’re calm. We never panic and we just do our job.”
Valbuena said the offensive production helps her beyond the scoreboard.
“It helps me be more confident in myself,” she said. “It’s really a team effort.”
Westlake defeated Kennedy 7-4 in eight innings in the other semifinal.
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