Marina pitcher Mia Valbuena, right, jumps into the arms of catcher Gabriella DiBenedetto as the Vikings win the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship against Westlake in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Marina players congratulate each other after winning the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship against Westlake in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Marina’s Eva Mazzotti, left, hugs Marina’s Halle Piramo after the Vikings won the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship against Westlake in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Marina’s Eva Mazzotti stokes an RBI double against Westlake to drive in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Westlake pitcher Presley Watters delivers a pitch against Marina in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Westlake’s Sydney Katz motions to her teammates after hitting a double against Marina in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Marina’s Eva Mazzotti claps as she stands on second base after a double against Westlake in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Marina shortstop Eva Mazzotti, right, gets the force out on Westlake’s Olivia Tirsch in the sixth inning during the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Westlake’s Keira McLucas trips as she rounds third against Marina in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Westlake outfielder Penelope Yeomans misjudges another Marina fly ball as it goes over her head in the fourth inning during the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Marina’s Mia Valbuena delivers a pitch against Westlake in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Marina’s Eva Mazzotti twists to get out of the way of an inside pitch against Westlake in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Marina’s Gabriella DiBenedetto is tagged out by Westlake’s Presley Watters in a run down in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Westlake second baseman Kaia Tan has nowhere to throw the ball against Marina in the first inning in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Marina pitcher Mia Valbuena, right, celebrates with teammates after they won the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship against Westlake in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Westlake’s Keira McLucas slides head first past Marina catcher Gabriella DiBenedetto to score a run in spite of having tripped round third in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Marina’s Eva Mazzotti celebrates her double against Westlake in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Westlake’s Lily Barrett swings and misses a pitch by Marina pitcher Mia Valbuena in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Westlake outfielder Penelope Yeomans misjudges a Marina fly ball that goes over her head in the third inning of the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Marina’s Gabriella DiBenedetto, right, makes it to third ahead of the throw to Westlake third baseman Brooke Bird Cespedes in the first inning in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Marina’s Avi Valbuena heads home to score a run against Westlake in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Marina shortstop Eva Mazzotti dives to field a sharp ground ball to her left by Westlake in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Westlake’s Keira McLucas works to get up after tripping rounding third against Marina in the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Show Caption1 of 23Marina pitcher Mia Valbuena, right, jumps into the arms of catcher Gabriella DiBenedetto as the Vikings win the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship against Westlake in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer) Expand
IRVINE — By the end of the first inning of the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship game between Westlake and Marina on Friday, the storylines were already taking shape.
It was apparent that Marina pitcher Mia Valbuena would be as dominant as she has been throughout the postseason. Additionally, the Vikings’ offense, especially Eva Mazzotti and Mia’s twin sister Avi Valbuena, would get their pitcher some runs.
Mia Valbuena had 13 strikeouts and Avi Valbuena and Mazzotti had four RBIs each, and Marina came away with an 8-1 victory at at Deanna Manning Stadium. The division title is the first for the Vikings (20-13) since 1995.
“We had a lot of hard losses (during league play),” Mia Valbuena said, “and there was a lot of close games that we could have won midseason that didn’t go our way. And that kind of brought us down a little bit. But I’m really proud of how we came back and battled through the postseason. So, it’s really an amazing feeling.”
The Valbuena sisters’ mother, Willa Valbuena, was a pitcher on Marina’s 1991 Division 5-A championship team.
Marina was the designated road team and Avi Valbuena gave her sister a two-run cushion before the right-hander even stepped into the pitching circle.
After a walk and two singles loaded the bases for Marina, Avi Valbuena doubled home two runs and then singled in two more runs in the third to give the Vikings a 4-0 lead.
Mia Valbuena struck out the side in the first inning and fanned five of the first six hitters she faced.
She struck out 56 and walked eight in 33 innings in the playoffs.
Valbuena also leads the Southern Section with 293 strikeouts.
“Having strong pitchers in the past, we knew where we have to get a talented kid like this from her freshman year to her senior year,” Marina co-head coach Day Hay said. “And she didn’t have a change-up even her freshman year and three quarters into her sophomore year. You see she’s developed that now.”
Earlier in the season, Valbuena had often faltered around the fifth inning, Hay said, so the coaches brought in a mental skills coach to help the pitcher and the other players work through some challenges.
“We started working on just that fifth inning and for the last three to four game we’ve gotten through that fifth inning,” Hay said. “It has been phenomenal and she finishes strong from there.”
The Warriors spoiled Valbuena’s shutout bid when Lily Barrett doubled home a run with two outs in the sixth inning.
With the victory, Marina qualifies for the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs, however, the Vikings are opting out of the tournament, Hay said.
“They’ve worked really hard all year long and little by little, they put the pieces together,” Luth said. “Dan and I have been working hard every single day to put a product together. We just had to prove it to them. And sooner or later, they start playing with confidence. I’ve had really good teams in the past but this one’s just a special team. They are all in it together and they’re really special it’s been an honor to coach them.”
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