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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