NCS champs! Kate Skinner fans 13 as Liberty beats Casa Grande to win first section title since 1997

MORAGA For the first time in nearly three decades Liberty has reached the North Coast Section mountain top Top-seeded Liberty captured its first section title since after beating No Casa Grande - in the NCS Division I finals on Friday at St Mary s College The Lions snapped a -year title drought as Brandi Macias won her first NCS championship in just her third year as coach This is the epitome of teamwork and belief in one another and I m just so proud of them Macias revealed We knew that the assistance we have within the group has been something they have just been wanting so badly and so there was that underlying pressure for them But these girls required to give that to Liberty High School We knew how big this contest was but we really came in just wanting to play our championship and stay as consistent as we could Liberty poses with their NCS Division I softball championship trophy after defeating Casa Grande - Friday May at St Mary s College in Moraga Calif Karl Mondon Bay Area News Group Two days after striking out in the NCS semifinals against Foothill Illinois State-bound junior Kate Skinner fanned and allowed two hits in a complete-game shutout to lead Liberty to a D crown Friday s win was a full circle moment for Liberty as the Lions last loss was to Casa Grande in April at the Livermore Stampede Tournament Since then the Brentwood school has won straight games We desired revenge and we sought to win Skinner explained We wished to come out and just battle We were just hungry to play We demanded to do everything in our power to win Liberty starting pitcher Kate Skinner reacts after getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning against Casa Grande in the NCS Division I softball championship at St Mary s College in Moraga Calif Friday May Karl Mondon Bay Area News Group Liberty put the first run of the tournament on the board when Kaitlyn Macias scored Taylor Jennings in the bottom of the first inning on a line-drive single down the left field line That run alone was a huge confidence booster for Liberty after it was shutout in its first meeting with Casa Grande When I hit that I declared We can do this guys Kaitlyn mentioned Liberty s Kaitlyn Macias strokes an RBI double in the first inning against Casa Grande in the NCS Division I softball championship at St Mary s College in Moraga Calif Friday May Karl Mondon Bay Area News Group Skinner s dominance started early as she retired the side through the first three innings Casa Grande had its best chance to put runs on the board in the fourth inning when the Gauchos loaded the bases with one out But Skinner came up huge striking out two consecutive batters to get out of the inning unscathed I was just trusting my coaches and what pitches they were calling Skinner revealed about getting out of the fourth-inning jam I know I m good and I know what I m doing After Liberty went up - after the fifth inning the Lions put the encounter away for good in the sixth Liberty opened the inning with three consecutive singles going up three runs after Kaylee Bunch scored from third on a Casa Grande error In the next at-bat junior Madison Tuttle knocked in Savannah Page on a single down the middle that gave Liberty a commanding - lead Liberty s Taylor Jennings left high fives Savannah Page who scored in a sixth inning rally against Casa Grande in the NCS Division I softball championship at St Mary s College in Moraga Calif Friday May Karl Mondon Bay Area News Group Facing the bottom of Casa Grande s order in the top of the seventh Skinner needed just six pitches to retire the side As shortstop Kelsie Skaggs caught the final out to end the event the celebration was on Liberty players rushed from their dugout jumping up and down with smiles on their faces Macias rushed to the pitcher s circle to give as multiple hugs as she could to her players Screams of We did it were loud enough for the entire St Mary s campus to hear Liberty starting pitcher Kate Skinner leaps after the final out is made in a - preeminence over Casa Grande in the NCS Division I softball championship at St Mary s College in Moraga Calif Friday May Karl Mondon Bay Area News Group In her first year as Liberty s coach Macias went - The Lions had their best season in over years in but came up short in the NCS semifinals It s a coach s dream to come into a effort where there wasn t much belief here and the focus was about the other programs Macias disclosed They needed to believe in themselves and understand what they re capable of doing And they did that I ll tell you what these girls can do and that s just about anything if you believe in them Related Articles CCS roundup Wilcox Willow Glen advance to section baseball finals Kate Skinner strikes out as Liberty beats Foothill to clinch NCS title championship berth NCS roundup Acalanes takes charge in first upsets Cardinal Newman in D-II semifinals Hayden Hummel s HR ignites St Francis into CCS Open softball final CCS roundup Santa Clara outlasts Branham in nine-inning baseball thriller The Lions will get to enjoy this win for now but will be preparing for another playoff run next week Liberty will likely be in the CIF NorCal Division I bracket with the other top teams in Northern California Liberty will know its division placement and playoff seed on Sunday after the CIF seeding meeting Macias noted she is hoping Liberty will get to host a home battle Seeding matters because we want to be at home she mentioned So if we can be in a higher seed we would be so proud to host so that s our goal Whatever that seed requirements to be I m not going to list a number I just want to be at home Liberty and Casa Grande prepare to square off in the NCS Division I softball championship at St Mary s College in Moraga Calif Friday May Karl Mondon Bay Area News Group Liberty s Taylor Jennings stands on nd base next to Lauren Ketchu of Casa Grande after a fifth inning double in the NCS Division I softball championship at St Mary s College in Moraga Calif Friday May Karl Mondon Bay Area News Group Liberty s Kaitlyn Macias strokes an RBI double in the first inning against Casa Grande in the NCS Division I softball championship at St Mary s College in Moraga Calif Friday May Karl Mondon Bay Area News Group Liberty poses with their NCS Division I softball championship trophy after defeating Casa Grande - Friday May at St Mary s College in Moraga Calif Karl Mondon Bay Area News Group Liberty pitcher Kate Skinner hoists the NCS Division I softball championship trophy after pitching a complete encounter - preeminence over Casa Grande at St Mary s College in Moraga Calif Friday May Karl Mondon Bay Area News Group Liberty starting pitcher Kate Skinner and catcher Isabella Rice celebrate after getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning against Casa Grande in the NCS Division I softball championship at St Mary s College in Moraga Calif Friday May Karl Mondon Bay Area News Group