This is the first in a four-part series looking back on the sports accomplishments of the four local high schools during the 2012-13 year. This installment is Bellarmine-Jefferson High:
As was the case the previous two seasons, it was again the Bellarmine-Jefferson High softball team that stood out at the school during the year.
There was no doubt that the Guards were dominant in the Santa Cruz League this past season. Bell-Jeff captured its fourth straight league championship, going undefeated with an 8-0 record. The closest game the Guards experienced in league play was a 5-1 victory over St. Matthias.
That success carried over into the playoffs. The Guards capped their season June 1 by defeating Mary Star of the Sea, 8-4, in the CIF Southern Section Division VI championship at Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine, giving the program its first title.
The Guards were able to win a title after losing the Division VII championship game the previous two years.