MONTEBELLO - It was said to be their most trying season ever due to the loss of eight seniors... and the improvement of Cantwell of Sacred Heart High of Montebello was going to be more than they could handle.

Mary Star High softball proved otherwise.

By virtue of their 2-0 victory over the host Cardinals, Mary Star would successfully defend their Camino Real League championship yet again, claiming their third straight outright crown in the process, and sophomore pitcher Marina Vitalich made sure she, nor the Stars were going to surrender their throne anytime soon.

Vitalich ignited an early burst for the Stars (16-8 overall, 10-2 league) by delivering with an early RBI-triple that drove home senior second baseman Rikki Legaspi-Valdez in the top of the first inning, then later score off senior catcher Amber Nunez's RBI off a fielder's choice. First her bat did the talking, then her right arm did the rest, as Vitalich threw a masterful two-hit shutout with no walks and 8 strikeouts.

With this win, Mary Star took two out of three from Cantwell (15-8, 9-2) to claim the outright title, and both wins against the Cardinals came on the road.

The CIF-Southern Section playoff pairings will be announced on Monday.

(Note: Photo courtesy of Mike Vitalich)