La Habra doesn't have to settle for sharing title

There can be only one Freeway League champion. Well, at least for this season.

La Habra, Sunny Hills and Fullerton finished as tri-champions in 2010.

The Highlanders took control of their own destiny, beating Sunny Hills, 4-1, to clinch the outright league championship in the regular-season finale on Thursday at Sunny Hills.

La Habra (21-6, 8-2) and Sunny Hills (11-12, 7-3) entered the matchup tied for first place. The victory gave the Highlanders their third consecutive league title.

"Winning this is a great feeling because the past two years we shared league champs," said Michigan State-bound Shannin Thomas, who went 2 for 3 with a solo homer and two RBIs. "We wanted it all to ourselves this year.

"When we started off with a bad record, we were like, 'Yeah, we gotta go get this.' This game was big for us."

The Highlanders jumped on the Lancers in the top of the first with a two-out rally. Chelsea Sciacca doubled and scored on Thomas' single. Thomas scored on an error by the center fielder to make it 2-0.

Thomas hit a solo shot to center field to give the Highlanders a 3-0 lead in the top of the third.

Sunny Hills scratched in the bottom of the fifth. Marjani Knighten ended up on second after a two-base throwing error by La Habra ace Kayla Klein.Knighten scored on Jeanette Griggs' two-out single to cut it to 3-1.

Maleena Esparza gave the Highlanders some insurance with an RBI triple in the top of the seventh.

Klein, a Texas A&M signee, scattered seven hits, walked two and struck out five to record the complete-game victory.

In other Freeway League games:

Troy 12, Buena Park 6: Sam Mellano went 2 for 3 with a triple and four RBIs to help the host Warriors (13-12, 6-4) clinch third place.

In the Sunset League:

Marina 4, Edison 2: South Carolina-bound Kristen Struett hit two two-run homers to help the visiting Vikings avenge one of their league losses by beating the Chargers. Freshman Tera Blanco worked six innings, allowing one run and striking out nine to pick up the victory.

Marina (18-6-1, 7-3) and Edison (24-6, 7-3) finished tied for second place, but Edison will be the league's No. 2 representative after winning a coin toss following the game.

Fountain Valley 7, Los Alamitos 4: Emily Brucelas hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to give the host Barons (16-9, 5-5) an upset over the Griffins (24-3-1, 9-1). Fountain Valley lost to Los Alamitos in 13 innings in the first meeting.

In the Century League:

Canyon 7, El Modena 6: Tennessee-bound Cheyanne Tarango went 3 for 4 with a double and four RBIs and Arizona-bound Lauren Young went 3 for 3 with a double, two runs and two RBIs to cap a huge week for the visiting Comanches (18-7, 8-4), who took down the arch-rival Vanguards (18-7, 9-3). El Modena finished in second place and Canyon took third.

In the Empire League:

Kennedy 6, Valencia 2: Lauren Lovato hit a two-run homer to highlight a five-run rally in the top of the seventh as the visiting Fighting Irish (17-8, 8-4) avenged one of their league losses by beating the Tigers (20-8, 8-4).

Kennedy's victory created a three-way tie for second place between Kennedy, Valencia and Cypress (13-11-1, 8-4).

Pacifica 1, Cypress 0: Freshman Kaylee Carlson recorded her 14th shutout and Katrina Oviedo drove Ruby Rivera with a single in the bottom of the fourth as the Mariners (23-2, 12-0) finished undefeated in league for the second consecutive season.

In the Orange Coast League:

Calvary Chapel 20, Godinez 3: Jamie Nelson hit a grand slam, and Gabby Jackson went 4 for 5 with two doubles, three runs and two RBIs to help the host Eagles (19-6, 10-0) finish an undefeated run to the league title.

The Eagles' Ashley Arrington went 3 for 4 with three runs and two RBIs, Katie Estes went 3 for 3 with a triple, two runs and three RBIs, and Stephanie Coyne went 2 for 5 with a double, two runs and three RBIs.