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Associate mug of Kenny Connolly, Anaheim reporter.

Date shot: 12/31/2012 . Photo by KATE LUCAS /  ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Few clubs have sprinted out of the gate this season as quickly as Mater Dei’s softball team, primarily behind the production it has received throughout its lineup.

The Monarchs bats continued to do damage at the plate Thursday as the defending CIF-SS champs opened the Dave Kops Tournament of Champions in Bullhead City, Ariz., with a 6-3 victory over Fountain Valley.

Neli Casares-Maher and Erica Holt each went 3-for-3 with a double as Mater Dei (4-0) racked up 16 hits and jumped out to a five-run lead after the top half of the first inning. Marlene Friedman drove in a pair of runs and finished 2-for-4 with a double.

Through four games, the Monarchs have scored 26 total runs.

Mater Dei will play Aztec High of New Mexico on Friday, with a potential matchup with Canyon looming in the quarterfinals.

Also in the Tournament of Champions:

Orange Lutheran 3, Centennial 1 (Nevada): Senior first baseman Noelle Hee’s two-run home run in the sixth inning proved to be the difference as the Lancers (5-0) edged out the Bulldogs (0-1). Orange Lutheran also received an RBI single from Victoria Fragoso in the inning for insurance. Maddy Dwyer scattered just three hits and tallied 11 strikeouts.

Mission Viejo 8, Perry (Arizona) 0: The Diablos jumped out to a five-run lead in the second inning and junior Terra McGowan’s bases-clearing double in the sixth served as the dagger. Mission Viejo (4-0) will play Shadow Ridge of Nevada on Friday.

Los Alamitos 11, Taylorsville (Utah) 0: Karrington Houshmandzadeh went 3-for-3 with a pair of singles and a home run to finish with four RBI in powering the Griffins (4-0) past the Warriors (2-1). Andrea Gonzalez and Alexa Schultz hit back-to-back home runs apart of a seven-run third inning.

Canyon 4, Chino 1: The Comanches (2-1) advance to play San Marcos after securing a three-run victory.

La Habra 7, Roosevelt 0: In shutting out the Mustangs, the Highlanders (3-1) set up a showdown with Pacifica on Friday.

Pacifica 3, Coronado (Nevada) 0: The Mariners improved to 3-0 with a shutout win over the Cougars. Pacifica and La Habra will play on Friday.

El Modena 4, Valencia (New Mexico) 2: Senior pitcher Nicole Yniguez struck out nine batters and the Vanguards (2-1) scored three runs in the fourth inning to open up with a victory in its first game out in Mojave.

In nonleague:

Capistrano Valley 11, Irvine 0: Delaney Hull was perfect in four innings of work, striking out seven batters as the Cougars (1-1) made quick work of the Vaqueros (4-3). Kennedy Hira went 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBI. Junior Jasmine Sievers drilled a home run and freshman Giulia Koutsoyanopulos added an RBI triple.

Aliso Niguel 4, Dana Hills 0: Carley Brown tossed a four-hit shutout in leading the Wolverines (4-1) past the visiting Dolphins (4-4). Aliso Niguel broke a scoreless tie with a four-run fifth inning, highlighted by Brown’s two-run double.

Santa Margarita 11, Tesoro 1: Sophomore shortstop Miranda Johnson finished 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and four RBI as the Eagles (7-1) eased past the Titans (2-4). Meghan McClure finished with two hits, two runs and two RBI, while Julia Mortimer hit a two-run home run. Junior pitcher Paige Vargas struck out six.