IRVINE - It was all there for the taking for Mary Star High softball.

Bell-Jeff of Burbank had to battle through four illegal pitches and eight walks from junior pitcher Mia Acosta, and a determined Stars team that was more than capable of ending their jinx of not having won a CIF-Southern Section championship in any sport. Yet through it all, the Guards relied on a weapon of their own... the long ball.

Senior shortstop Monique Landini would blast two home runs, and Acosta also hit a home run of her own, all accounting for five runs to power Bell-Jeff to a 8-4 win over Mary Star in the CIF-Southern Section Division 6 championship game at Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine. After two straight disappointments, the Guards (23-10 overall) can finally hold their heads victorious with their first CIF-Southern Section softball title.

Meanwhile the Stars (20-9), teary-eyed, could only wonder what might have been if it got a few breaks as their fans who made the long trek to Orange County gave them a standing ovation as they headed to their dugout.

Mary Star had a runner on base in every single inning, and left a total of 11 on base, six of them in scoring position.

The first two innings of this game belonged to Mary Star, as sophomore pitcher Marina Vitalich started off the game in her usual fashion, mowing down Bell-Jeff in order by striking out the first two hitters, and getting Acosta to ground out to sophomore shortstop Lexie Geich. In the bottom of the first inning, senior catcher Amber Nunez's RBI-single gave Mary Star their only lead at 1-0 with two outs, driving in Vitalich who drew a one-out walk.

The Guards loaded the bases in the top of the second with one out, but Vitalich struck out sophomore left fielder Jessica Pereyra and got sophomore outfielder Alexis Lopez to ground out to second to escape the jam.

Landini would strike with a one-out home run to center field, tying the game at 1-1 in the top of the third inning, and the game remained that way until a wild top of the fifth inning that was all Bell-Jeff, with a little luck on the side.

Lopez led off with an infield single, but on replay, Mary Star senior second baseman Rikki Legaspi-Valdez's throw to first beat Lopez by four steps. On junior second baseman Tiffany Galindo's sacrifice bunt, senior first baseman Mariah Marquez had the sure out at first, but threw to second instead, and Lopez beat the throw.

Then Landini's bomb to center field just skated over the head of junior left fielder Jenna Clarke's head, but short of the fence... yet the farthest umpire made the call for a three-run homer after the hustling Clarke led to her knocking the fence over, giving Bell-Jeff a 4-1 lead, which then became 5-1 after Acosta's towering homer to right-center field, which left no doubt as it left her bat.

Junior catcher Samantha Casarez's RBI-sacrifice fly gave the Guards a 6-1 advantage to cap off their five-run onslaught before the Stars began to battle back again.

In the bottom of the fifth, Vitalich and senior third baseman Cassie Demers hit back-to-back singles, but Nunez's line drive to Galindo spelled instant doom for Mary Star, as she promptly ran to second, touched the base to double up Vitalich, then fired a dart to first base to erase Demers for a rare 4-3 triple play to end the inning.

Despite that one big inning for Bell-Jeff, Mary Star kept battling.

Geich led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a double, and would score on senior designated player Gabriela Meave's RBI-single an out later. The Stars would add a second run in the sixth with junior right fielder Christina Padilla's RBI-ground out to second base that plated Marquez.

In the seventh inning, the Guards would add two critical runs with one out on junior center fielder Priscilla Panzino's two-run single before Vitalich struck out the final two batters she faced, giving her eight for the game, then in the bottom of the seventh, Geich's one-out RBI-double that drove home Demers rounded out the scoring.

Junior center fielder Emily Buczko drew a nine-pitch, full count walk to load the bases, then Acosta ended the game by striking out Meave looking.

Somewhat erratic, but still effective, Acosta (13-2) hurled a nine-hitter with eight walks and five strikeouts while going 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored for Bell-Jeff, who lost in two previous CIF finals appearances to Pomona Catholic before finally breaking through. Landini went 2-for-4 with two home runs and 4 big RBIs, Pereyra went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs, and junior third baseman Christina Colon went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

Geich, Demers and Meave all went 2-for-4 each at the plate for Mary Star. Geich hit two doubles with an RBI and a run scored, while Meave added a RBI of her own. Vitalich (20-9) scattered 10 hits and only walked one for the Stars.

Even though Mary Star didn't come up with the school's first softball and sports championship, they are to be commended for the amazing run they made with four grueling victories over Chadwick of Rolling Hills Estates, Shadow Hills of Indio (forfeit - illegal batting practice), Pomona Catholic and Rosamond just to reach the finals.

Coach Gregg Aguilar hoisted the runner-up trophy with pride as the Mary Star faithful applauded their Stars, who by all rights and privileges will never lose their shine.