Aaron Black waited four years for this.
"I knew it would be something special," the Liberty-Madera Ranchos baseball coach said of a senior-based group that defeated Corcoran 7-4 Friday at home for the Central Section Division V championship.
Nick Palacios closed a four-year career by earning his second playoff win of the week and his 11th of the season, and Wess Kirste's RBI triple and Pat Bariteau's two-run double highlighted a tie-breaking four-run sixth inning as the 24-7 Hawks captured the school's first section title in a boys sport.
Liberty, which opened in 2002, has won three crowns in girls sports.
Palacios, Kirste and Bariteau are seniors, in addition to Chase Cullins, who went 3 for 3 with two doubles and two RBIs, and recorded the save; and Kenny Kirkman, who homered and drove in two runs.
"They're all buddies who had a lot of success in youth leagues," Black said. "I kept telling the kids I had a special feeling."
The Hawks developed momentum and the top seed for the playoffs by sweeping Washington -- which won the D-IV championship -- while winning the North Sequoia League.
And then they marched into the final by conquering three-year reigning D-V king Fowler 8-6 in Wednesday's semifinals.
Panthers take D-IV title
Andrew Rich closed a 37-win career with a bases-loaded strikeout in the seventh inning as Washington beat Selma 2-1 in Easton to win the D-IV title after three straight trips to the semifinals.
The Panthers capped a 32-3 season and got their 100th victory in four seasons with four-year starters Rich and Braden Fukuda.
Rich won a pitchers' duel against Bears senior Gilbert Ruelas.
In the sixth, Rich reached second on an infield throwing error to start the winning two-run rally.
Marc Mendoza singled him to third and stole second on a fake bunt. Ruelas got a strikeout, but sophomore Yafett Thomas drove in Rich with a single and, after a hit batter loaded the bases, sophomore catcher John Hobbs delivered a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to score Mendoza.
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