Wednesday, May 30, 2012 was finally time for San Pedro's other softball power to finally shine on the grand stage of being on the adoring field of Easton Stadium on the campus of UCLA.

After watching San Pedro High softball claim nine CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division I championships in the prior decade (2000-2009), along with other title wins in Westwood from 1993, 1995 and 1998, the Port Of Los Angeles High softball team was out to get their own taste of UCLA in attempt to successfully defend it's Small Schools Division (3) crown against a school POLA had already defeated twice.

Harbor Teacher Prep of Wilmington came in as the decided underdogs, but they surely didn't look the part, as they stood toe-to-toe with POLA for four innings, then the bats would finally come alive and the Polar Bears would win, 6-0 to repeat as City Section Division 3 champions.

Nicolle Miranda, then the Polar Bear freshman ace, was simply dominant, throwing a no-hitter for six and 1/3 innings before surrendering a one-out single to Stacy Lepe. Miranda would finish with 12 strikeouts and a hit batter, walking none for the impressive championship shutout, also going 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs.

Miranda's counterpart, Harbor Teacher Prep pitcher Erin Bettis, also had some stellar clutch moments in the circle.

Kelsea Short's lead-off single, a walk by Brianna Grayson, and Miranda's single loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning, but Bettis remain calmed and proved to be unfazed, as she proceeded to strike out Allison Bayer, Tiffany Mercado and Briana Valencia in succession keep the game scoreless. Amazingly enough, the game remained at 0-0 until the bottom of the fifth inning.

Short led off the fifth with a walk, then stole second base. On the very next pitch after the steal, Grayson would blast a triple into the corner in right field to drive in Short, then Miranda's RBI-single to left field that landed nine inches fair down the line would score Grayson for a 2-0 POLA edge.

POLA would erupt with four more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Adriana Vargas would score the first run of the inning off a passed ball. Short, who was 2-for-3 an RBI and a run scored in POLA's first championship win over Northridge Academy, 2-0 in the 2011 City Section Small Schools final, would drive an RBI-single down the line to plate Sarah Maldonado, then would score off Miranda's sacrifice fly that followed Grayson's booming double. Bayer would drive home the final run of the inning (Grayson) with a blistering double down the left field line with two outs.

When Miranda struck out Teresa Villareal to end the game, it set off a modest celebration for the Polar Bears, a little more exciting than their first championship considering it was played at Birmingham High of Lake Balboa.

The victory capped off a stellar 21-7 season for POLA, winning their second City title since becoming playoff eligible in 2011, repeating as Crosstown League champions, and proving themselves against bigger schools in the Torrance TNT, Redondo Union and El Segundo Tournament. In those tournaments the Polar Bears piled up impressive victories over Piedra Vista of New Mexico, Salpointe Catholic of Arizona, Redondo and... yes, even in-city giant San Pedro.

Grayson went 3-for-4 with a double, triple, an RBI and two runs scored to pace the Polar Bears, who smashed ten hits off of Bettis. Short went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, and Laura Leos even went 2-for-2 at the plate for POLA, who also defeated Harbor Teacher Prep by scores of 15-1 and 17-0 in two Crosstown League games earlier in the 2012 season before surviving a minor scare from the Monarchs in this third encounter.

Yet through it all, the Polar Bears thoroughly enjoyed their first moment in the Westwood sun.