By Richard Paolinelli
MaxPreps.com
SAN JOSE --- For most teams in the Central Coast Section, the drive toward a section championship began a few months ago.
For Valley Christian High School's baseball team, it began last May in the aftermath of an eighth inning loss to Bellarmine in the Division I championship game.
The Warriors' one-year march toward redemption culminated on Saturday with an impressive 6-2 win over San Benito in this year's section championship game at San Jose's Municipal Stadium.
The victory gave Valley Christian (33-4) its first Division I title and its fourth overall as the Warriors became the first team in section history to capture section titles in all four divisions.
Jonathan Hughes powered Valley Christian's 15-hit attack with a perfect 4-for-4 effort at the plate, breaking open the game in the fourth inning with a two-run double as Valley Christian rallied from a 2-0 deficit, before taking the mound in relief of Kevin Miller to put out a sixth-inning rally by San Benito (29-9) to preserve the win.
Division II
Erik Johnson drove in the go-ahead run then struck out a batter with the tying run at third base in the seventh inning to almost single-handedly drive Los Altos to its first CCS section championship during a 6-5 victory over Aptos.
Los Altos (26-8) had trailed 3-0 in the game before mounting a furious comeback.
Division III
If they keep this up, they're going to need a bigger trophy case at Carmel High School.
For the third-consecutive year, Carmel claimed the Division III championship after dispatching Scotts Valley, 5-1.
The Padres (27-6) have won five of the last seven section championships in their division and claimed the school's eighth section title in baseball in school history.
Carmel pitcher Joey Parsons kept Scotts Valley in check as the two teams were tied 1-1 in the fifth before Carmel erupted for four runs to wrap up the title.
Softball
Division II
Pull out a copy of any dictionary and look up the word powerhouse.
Odds are you will see a picture of the Archbishop Mitty High School softball team there.
The No. 7 ranked team in the nation destroyed Leigh, 10-0, in five innings in Saturday's Division II section championship game, giving Mitty its third-straight CCS title and seventh overall at San Jose's PAL Stadium. It was also the 25th straight victory for the Monarchs against one loss, which came in its season-opener against Gilroy.
Sophomore Keilani Ricketts, who completed an 8-0 season in the pitching circle with a win in Saturday's title tilt, allowed two infield hits, struck out seven and added a three-run home run at the plate as well.
Katie Fleury led off the game with an inside-the-park home run, giving Ricketts all the runs she would need.
Division I
San Benito defended its section championship by dispatching the team it had defeated in last year's semifinals as the Haybalers edged Carlmont 2-1 to claim the section title in Division I action.
Trailing 2-0, Carlmont rallied in the fifth as Katy Suko doubled in Paulina Swenson. But that was all the offense Carlmont could generate.
Division III
Notre Dame-Belmont captured its first section championship in three decades with a 10-0 rout over Robert Stevenson in Saturday's Division III section title game.
Tigers' hurler Emma Holden recorded 11 strikeouts while allowing just four hits and one walk.
After falling to Mitty in last year's Division II title game the Tigers were dropped to Division III due to enrollment numbers. That cleared the way for Notre Dame's amazing run for the title this year and the Tigers took full advantage.
