Fleming’s Homer Powers Millikan

The voice, directed at Akemi Fleming, came from the stands: “This is your chance to be a hero!”

To which Fleming responded by belting the next pitch over the left-field fence for a three-run home run that propelled Long Beach Millikan to a 5-3 victory over Westlake Village Oaks Christian in the Division III softball final at Barber Park in Irvine and gave the school its first section title since 1983.

Fourth-seeded Millikan (27-6) last played in the final in 1984. Second-seeded Oaks Christian (28-6) was in its fifth championship game in a row and had won the last two in Division IV.

“We were pretty nervous, none of us had ever been in this situation before,” said winning pitcher Kara Harper, who retired the side in order only once, in the seventh, and stranded nine baserunners. “We were trying not to think about it, trying to treat it like another game.”

Jay Tema’s two-run single in the top of the first inning helped ease some of the Rams’ jitters, and Fleming’s three-run homer in the fifth gave Millikan a decisive cushion, a 5-2 advantage.

Harper (21-5) gave up nine hits -- three to Kaslin Tucker, one an RBI double in the fifth inning -- and struck out six. Losing pitcher Taylor Schlopy (12-4) gave up six of Millikan’s eight hits and struck out six in 6 2/3 innings of relief.

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Chino Hills 2, Placentia El Dorado 1 -- The unseeded Huskies, despite four errors, defeated the top-seeded Golden Hawks, who also committed four errors in the Division II final at Barber Park.

Chino Hills (23-7), which had 23 errors in 29 previous games, converted three fifth-inning errors by El Dorado (24-3-1) into two runs. With one out, back-to-back errors put runners at first and third. Jennifer Klinkert followed with a single to score Danielle Patrick, and Jessica Smith followed her home as Klinkert’s line drive got past left fielder Emily Troup.

The Huskies beat third-seeded Lake Elsinore Temescal Canyon in the second round, second-seeded Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula in the semifinal and, finally, top-seeded El Dorado.

Martin Henderson

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Pomona Catholic 3, Flintridge Prep 2 -- Kym Silagyi’s one-out double in the top of the eighth inning drove in pinch-runner Tiffany Alvarez to give Pomona Catholic (22-6) its third Division V title since 1999 with the win at Barber Park.

Kayla Silva got aboard in the eighth on a fielding error and moved to second on a passed ball.

The Nevada-bound Silagyi doubled to center in the sixth to drive in Andrea Asmundson, who had singled and advanced on Silva’s walk, with the first of two runs in the inning. Silva scored on a groundout by Gabby Dominguez to tie the score, 2-2.

Flintridge Prep (15-5), bidding for the program’s first title, had scored twice in the third as a result of a throwing error by shortstop Rachel Gray.

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Montebello Cantwell-Sacred Heart 1, Santa Maria Valley Christian 0 -- Amanda Ybarra doubled to right-center field and scored on a throwing error in the second inning for the Cardinals, who won their first title in the Division VII final at Barber Park.

The Cardinals (17-9) relied on senior left-hander Samantha Morales (11-6) to defuse a late rally by the Lions (19-7).

Valley Christian finished with three hits but got its last one with one out in the seventh inning. Sirena Gomez singled to center and stole second, but Morales responded with a strikeout and a ground-ball out to end the game.

-- Lauren Peterson