The only program to win multiple Southern California Regional softball titles also became the lone school to capture championships in two different divisions.
Mater Dei Catholic, the No. 2 seed, scored six runs in the fifth inning and added five more in the seventh to secure a 12-3 victory Saturday at top-seed El Modena in the Division 1 regional final.
The Crusaders (27-7), who won Division 2 regional championships in 2022 and again last year, achieved their first Division 1 regional crown.
Mater Dei Catholic, which received back-to-back home runs in the seventh from senior Analesse Garcia and sophomore Maya Matthies, is also the only softball program to win back-to-back Southern California Regional titles.
El Modena (23-10), which suffered a 3-0 loss May 31 to Norco in the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 championship game, rebounded to outlast Poway by an 8-6 margin in nine innings Thursday in the regional semifinals to advance to its first Southern California final.
The Vanguards built a 3-1 advantage Saturday through four innings, with senior Monica Garcia hitting a two-run homer in the first and sophomore Parker Mayes adding an RBI single in the third.
Mayes helped El Modena prevail with a two-run walk-off homer in the ninth Thursday against Poway.
Following an RBI double in the fifth from Charlize Masengale, Garcia put Mater Dei Catholic ahead for good with a bases-clearing double to take a 5-3 lead.
Masingale had three hits, including a triple, and drove in two runs, with Bella Harris, Bella Hiner, Arri Romero, Matthies and Garcia all contributing two hits apiece for Mater Dei Catholic.
Jahsiya Blaney produced three runs for the Crusaders, with Garcia, Harris and Matthies all scoring twice.
Gianna Flores and Lilia Alpuche both drove in runs for Mater Dei Catholic, which won its final seven games following a 4-1 loss May 14 against Bonita Vista, including back-to-back victories against the Barons in the CIF-San Diego Section Open Division final and the Southern California Regional semifinals.
Romero allowed six hits and a walk, striking out nine for the Crusaders.
El Modena advanced to its first Southern California Division 1 Regional final | Photo courtesy of El Modena
Kaitlyn Galasso had two hits, with Ashley Driskill and Lucy Mitchell each collecting hits for El Modena, which surrendered its most runs of the season.
Mater Dei Catholic won the Division 2 regional crown in 2022 with a 15-9 victory against Torrance, followed by a 5-4 triumph last year over Etiwanda.