Burbank Major softball claims another state championship

COLTON — For a second straight year, the Burbank Little League Major All-Stars softball team proved that it was the best in Southern California.

The Media City squad brushed off a tough defeat a day earlier to beat host Westchester Del Rey, 13-1, in Friday’s winner-take-all championship of the Southern California State Division 3 Championship at Ken Hubbs Memorial Field.

The title is the second in as many years for Burbank, which also claimed the District 16 and Section 2 championship earlier this postseason.

“Tonight, this team — the coaches and players — showed again that we perform best with our backs against the wall,” said Burbank Manager Rocco Buffolino, who was doused with celebratory slime after the game. “We hit, we pitched, we did it all tonight.

“And just to let everyone know, we’re not a travel-ball team. We’ve been doing this since the park and [recreation] days and these girls have been together for a while. It’s a great feeling to win with them.”

With the victory, Burbank will don a different cap next week as the team will represent Southern California in the 12-team, seven-day Little League Softball West Regional Tournament.

The action takes place at the Little League Western Regional Headquarters in San Bernardino and begins Friday.

Burbank advanced by taking advantage of some wildness from Westchester Del Rey’s pitchers, while the squad also survived some bizarre umpiring.

While Burbank’s offense did smack 14 hits off four pitchers Friday, Westchester also hurt its own cause with nine walks, two wild pitches and a hit batter.

Buffolino’s daughter, Annie, turned in a spectacular effort at the plate and in the circle. The pitcher allowed one run in a complete-game four-hitter that included 10 strikeouts versus only two walks. Of her 10 punchouts, six came looking, including the final out of the first inning when the home plate umpire rang up Westchester’s Pilar Cotaletto though the count was 2-2.

Buffolino also finished three for five at the dish with a double, two runs batted in and a run scored.

Her biggest blast came in a six-run sixth-inning when she ripped a double off the top of a 20-foot wall that stands 200 feet out in left field. The extra-base hit scored two and put Burbank up, 9-1.

“When I hit it, I just thought I should run,” Annie Buffolino said of her towering drive. “I didn’t even look, I just heard it the fence and then I thought it went over.”

Buffolino later scored on a single from Lizzy Zamora, while a double from Mallory Cibort plated teammates Kaelyn Freed and Clarisa Robles. The inning’s final run came on a bases-loaded walk to Bella Scozzola (two for four with three runs and one RBI) as Burbank took a 13-1 lead.

Unfortunately for Westchester, the bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning was not a rarity as Burbank received three bases-loaded passes in a five-run second inning as it jumped ahead, 7-0.

Burbank’s other two runs in the second came on a scoring fielder’s choice from Makenna Palamara and a steal of home by Makaiya Bedford.

Freed got Burbank’s offense going in the first when the second baseman laced a two-out, two-run single into right that scored Kelsey Acosta (two for four with three runs) and Scozzola and gave the visitors a 2-0 lead.

Westchester’s lone run came in the third on a single from Sophia Marcero.

“We played more relaxed today than yesterday,” said Freed, who finished two for three with three RBI and one run. “We had fun and focused on playing our best.”

Burbank found itself on the brink of elimination after a gritty effort from Westchester Del Rey.

Burbank pounded Westchester, 17-7, in tournament opener Saturday, only to see Westchester bounce back with a 4-3 eight-inning victory Thursday that forced Friday’s winner-take-all title game.

Burbank’s championship team includes Alyssa Valenzuela, Calista Lee and Sofie Smith, while Buffolino was assisted by coaches Jose Robles and Steve Acosta.