As expected, there was no margin for error for The King’s Academy pitching ace Katia Nesper in the Central Coast Section Division I softball final at West Valley College, not against a Gilroy team that had allowed just one run in its two previous playoff games.

Nesper was up for the challenge.

The junior pitched a two-hitter with 12 strikeouts and no walks on Saturday to lead fourth-seeded TKA to a 1-0 victory over second-seeded Gilroy, capping a playoff run for the Knights that included a nine-inning win over Hollister in the opening round and a shutout win over top-seeded Live Oak in the semifinals.

“From the beginning of the year, we had one goal — one goal only — and that was to go to the playoffs,” TKA coach Mark Street said. “Last year we got there and we were one game short from getting into the championship game. This year, we had a schedule that allowed us to be able to compete against top-level teams, and that put us in a position now that we were ready for this. They stayed together as a group, they believed in each other and, let’s face it, I’ve got one of the best pitchers of the country.”

Gilroy’s Ariela Yslava was almost as dominant as Nesper. She pitched all seven innings, allowing one run and four hits with nine strikeouts and one walk.

Kes Wong provided all the offense Nesper needed, hitting a one-out double to left in the second inning to drive in Hannah Woo with the game’s only run.

Andrea Alvarez accounted for Gilroy’s two hits.

Division III

No. 4 Westmont 4, No. 7 Aptos 3: Lucky Felder drove in two runs and Sophia Burich knocked in one during a third-inning rally that gave Westmont a four-run lead.

Turns out, the Warriors needed all of those runs to capture the CCS Division III title at San Jose City College after Aptos rallied for two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth.

Westmont held on as Regan Steele pitched a complete game with nine strikeouts.

The Warriors improved to 16-14. Aptos is 17-8.

Division V

No. 4 King City 11, No. 2 South San Francisco 4: The Warriors jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but it was all King City after that in the D-V title game played at San Jose City College.

The Mustangs (18-11) scored five runs in the third inning to go on top 5-2, then had another five-run outburst in the sixth to make it 11-3.

Freshman Keira Crutchfield was 2 for 4 with a double and two RBIs. Maggie Bergesen also had two hits and drove in one run. The Warriors are 16-9.

BASEBALL

Division II

No. 3 Hollister 3, No. 5 Wilcox 0: All of the momentum from the late-season hot streak that propelled Wilcox to the CCS playoffs came to a full stop Saturday against Hollister in the Division II championship game.

Hollister’s Trent Roach, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-hander committed to Cal, threw a two-hit shutout as the Haybalers walked off with the CCS title at Excite Ballpark.

Wilcox (21-9) went into Saturday’s game having won 16 of its previous 17. But Roach set the side down in order in six of the seven innings. He walked one and struck out seven.

“We haven’t seen a lot of velo this year,” Wilcox coach Matthew Huth said. “We tried to prepare for it as much as possible. (The home plate umpire) was calling the high strike and you can’t defend against the high strike against a guy throwing 90.”

Roach was perfect through the first three innings, setting down nine in a row and striking out six.

Wilcox starter RJ Argel held the Haybalers scoreless the first two innings before they broke through in the third, scoring three runs on four hits and a walk. Cleanup batter Jake Esparza got the big knock with a two-run double.

Then Wilcox was presented with what turned out to be its one offensive opportunity in the top of the fourth. Jake Prettol and Diego Prado singled and Mateo Escobedo walked to load the bases with two out. Jetson Preston then smoked a line drive, but it went right at Hollister left fielder Daniel Martinez for the third out.

Roach proceeded to retire the side in order the final three innings, setting off the Hollister celebration.

Darren Sabedra, Glenn Reeves, Mike Lefkow and Christian Babcock contributed to this report.