NCS, CCS softball playoffs: Pinole Valley blanks TCAL rival, clinches berth in D-III championship
NCS
Division III
No. 1 Pinole Valley 2, No. 4 Albany 0
Pinole Valley was dominant in the regular season, authoring a 23-1 record.
The Spartans have somehow been even better in the playoffs, shutting out a fourth consecutive opponent to reach the North Coast Section Division III title game.
Albany, which finished the season 14-8, had played its Tri-County Athletic League rivals tough in two regular season games, losing 3-2 and 7-6.
The Cougars, like the three opponents before them, were unable to score against senior ace Kailani Tatro, the Pinole Valley star who struck out seven and allowed just five hits in a complete game.
Tatro, who has pitched every inning of every game this season, also went 2 for 3 with an RBI.
Pinole Valley freshman Ayla Serrano was 1 for 2 with an RBI, and pinch-runner Jordan Mendoza scored a run for the second consecutive game. Genevive Hallinan had two hits for Albany
Pinole Valley, which improved to 27-1, will play No. 10 Encinal at Diablo Valley College at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
No. 10 Encinal 4, No. 6 Eureka 1
The Jets made the 278-mile trip up to Eureka and took care of business, securing their spot against No. 1 Pinole Valley in the Division III final.
Freshman Cameron Tran was 1 for 3 with two RBIs, and junior slugger Lola Whalen was 1 for 3 with an RBI and one run scored. Riley Chadwick also had an RBI.
Encinal had just five hits, but also walked five times and got on base twice due to Eureka errors.
Pitcher Celeste Hurtubise led the team with two hits, and also threw a complete game. Hurtubise struck out nine, allowed just two hits, and gave up one unearned run.
Encinal, now 15-10, played Pinole Valley once in the regular season, losing 1-0 after Aneesa Brewer scored on a walkoff wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Around the NCS
Del Norte defeated Salesian 6-3 to advance to the Division IV final, where it will face No. 1 Cardinal Newman at Santa Rosa junior college on Friday … No. 3 Laytonville edged out No. 1 California School for the Deaf in the Division VI title game
CCS
No. 4 Notre Dame-Belmont 5, No. 1 Leland 0
The Tigers’ Allison Lui threw a complete-game shutout with seven strikeouts as Notre Dame-Belmont upset top-seeded Leland in the Central Coast Section Division V semifinal.
The visitors piled up 11 hits, four of those doubles. Freshman Skyar Loo was 2 for 4 with three RBIs. Ava Chung, Malaina Alifano and Alexa Couto each had two hits, and Allison Lui was 1 for 3 with an RBI.
Leland finished the season 11-13, and ND-Belmont improved to 14-10. It will play North Salinas in the title game on Saturday at a yet-to-be-determined site.
Around the CCS
No. 1 Monterey run-ruled No. 5 Leigh 10-0 to advance to the Division II title game, where it will face No. 2 Salinas, which beat Los Altos 2-0 in the other semifinal … Everett Alvarez routed Gunn in the Division III semifinal. Everett Alvarez will play the winner of Santa Teresa and The King’s Academy on Saturday.