Alhambra sophomore Hailey Powers was looking for a pitch down the middle as she led off the bottom of a tied seventh inning of the North Coast Section Division III softball championship game at Diablo Valley College on Saturday.

After fouling off San Leandro’s first offering, she got what she wanted with her second left-handed swing.

The ball cut through the blisteringly hot air and landed over the fence to give the Bulldogs the section crown with a walk-off 7-6 victory.

She trotted around the bases feeling a mixture of elation and bewilderment after hitting the first home run of her high school career.

“I was in shock,” Powers said. “I didn’t think I could hit it over.”

Watching from the dugout, senior ace Willa Adler’s had zero doubt that her second baseman would come through in the biggest moment.

“She’s an incredible player,” Adler said. “She 100% could hit that home run. She’s got it.”

Once Powers touched the plate, it was time to celebrate.

“The adrenaline was so high that I was sprinting out of the dugout as soon as I saw the ball (leave the bat),” Alhambra senior Mia Brady said.

The blast put away a feisty, never-say-die San Leandro squad that gave Alhambra everything it could handle.

Trailing 6-3 in the seventh inning, San Leandro’s Isabella Lopez Puertas got one run across on a groundout to first. Jade Orta’s ground ball cut the deficit to one when more Alhambra gaffes in the field allowed a pair of runners to score.

Marina Sacrey tied the score at 6-6 on a line single to left.

Division II

No. 1 Cardinal Newman 12, No. 2 Carondelet 8: Cardinal Newman combined for seven runs in the fourth and fifth innings to break open a 3-3 game and prevent Carondelet from winning its first section softball title since 2018.

The Cougars (15-13) didn’t go quietly after falling behind 10-4 after five innings. They scored four in the top of the sixth to close within two runs, but Cardinal Newman (22-6) put up two runs in the bottom of the inning for breathing room.

Sophomore Reese Albano led Carondelet’s offense. She had two hits and three RBIs. Freshman Arielle Henriquez had a triple and three RBIs.

Nicole DiMarco of Cardinal Newman was the standout at the plate. She homered and tripled, and had five RBIs.

Division V

No. 4 Miramonte 3, No. 2 Kennedy-Fremont 2: The Matadors, who have been successful at so many other sports, finally added some softball hardware to the school trophy case.

Miramonte (18-8) scored three runs in the top of the sixth and made it stand up for the school’s first NCS softball title.

The Mats, who had never had a plus-.500 record in softball in the MaxPreps era dating to 2004, relied on the arm of pitcher Abby Warren and the bat of Talia Hagan.

Warren pitched a complete-game seven-hitter and struck out 10. She allowed two runs, both unearned. Talia Hagan had the key hit in the Miramonte sixth, a two-run single.

Kennedy (12-9) had a chance. The Titans had a 7-3 advantage in hits. They also had three fewer errors than the Mats. Madelyn Montague’s single in the seventh drove in Marilyn Rivas to make it a one-run game, but the Titans couldn’t get closer.

Div. I third-place game

No. 13 Foothill 16, No. 3 Livermore 13: Foothill punched its ticket to the CIF NorCal playoffs by upsetting Livermore on the road.

Senior Kaycie Burdick went 5 for 5 with two triples and a home run with six RBIs to lead Foothill. Sophia Burdick had four hits and three RBIs for the Pleasanton school, which improved to 16-9-1.

Livermore’s Laine Macosky went 3 for 5 and knocked in four runs. Livermore finished 19-10.

BASEBALL

Division II

No. 5 Acalanes 7, No. 15 Rancho Cotate 1: Acalanes won a section title on Saturday for the first time in nine years when it scored three runs in the first inning and two more in the fifth to lead by five before giving up a run.

The Dons went on to a 7-1 victory over 15th-seeded Rancho Cotate to capture the North Coast Section Division II championship.

Acalanes last won a title in 2016 when it beat Analy 4-1. The Dons have captured eight NCS baseball championships, though they had to settle for a co-title with San Marin in 2011 when the ultimate game was called because of darkness.

Saturday’s game at Diablo Valley College was settled quickly. Ando Butner singled in the first, stole second and scored on a hit by James Stadt. Keegan Goddard followed with another single, then he and Stadt executed a double steal to put runners at second and third. Jimmy Cusumano drove both runners home with a single.

Cusumano had three RBIs for the day. His double to left in the fifth made it 5-0. Stadt was 3 for 4 with two runs and three RBIs. Goddard scored two runs and drove in another.

The beneficiary was starting pitcher Brady Quinn, who pitched five shutout innings and allowed two hits. Acalanes improved to 17-10-1. Rancho Cotate slipped to 16-13.

Division IV

No. 13 Las Lomas 5, No. 6 Clear Lake 1: This was Division IV, so the Knights’ first NCS baseball title in the school’s 74-year history might not get the notoriety it deserves. But find another section champion that has had a more impressive run.

Here are some cool numbers from that title:

The Knights went on the road for all four playoff games. They traveled just fewer than 400 miles for those four contests. Did they have a magic bus?

Las Lomas outscored its four opponents 25-2. Knights pitchers allowed five hits in 26 innings. That included a no-hitter (Alessandro Martinez-Cabrera), a one-hitter and a pair of two-hitters.

In Saturday’s championship game, Las Lomas (16-11-1) scored single runs in the third and fourth innings, then had a three-run outburst in the fifth to put the game away. Clear Lake (19-6) didn’t score until the seventh.

Jack Foscalina led the offense with three hits and three RBIs. Harrison Bay also had three hits and scored two runs. Starting pitcher Noah Sison worked the first six innings. He allowed a run, two hits, walked five and struck out five.

Division V

No. 2 St. Mary’s-Berkeley 3, No. 1 Swett 1: Logan Donoviel pitched five shutout innings in relief, scored a run and drove in a run as the Panthers captured their fourth NCS baseball title.

Donoviel took over in the bottom of the third with the score tied 1-1, and proceeded to allow two hits and two walks while striking out seven.

The Panthers, who have won four straight after a 6-17 regular season, scored the deciding runs in the top of the fourth. Reid Rakowski walked and was sacrificed to second by Nico Pilara. Donoviel drew a base on balls to put two runners on, and both scored when Damien Nolan doubled.

Swett (14-7-2) scored in the second on a walk, a hit batter and two wild pitches.

Div. I third-place game

No. 9 Casa Grande 6, No. 3 Foothill 3: Foothill’s season ended at home in the Division I third-place game. The Pleasanton school matched Casa Grande’s seven hits, but couldn’t overcome four errors. Foothill trailed by five runs going into the bottom of the fifth.

Hudson Flora led Foothill with two hits and three RBIs. Casa Grande’s Brady Laubscher hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning that gave the Gauchos a commanding lead. Casa Grande (21-8) secured the section’s final NorCal bid. Foothill finished 21-8.

Staff writer Nathan Canilao contributed to this report.