Burbank 10-11 All-Stars retain state softball championship

For the second straight season, the Division 3 State Championship banner will reside in Burbank.

Backed by a solid pitching effort from Kaynan Chrysikos and some early offensive firepower, the Burbank 10-11 All-Star softball team rolled to an 8-3 win against Banning on Tuesday night at Wardan Park in Desert Hot Springs.

“We faced a very good Banning team and they never gave in,” Burbank Manager Marc Dabbadie said. “We had to go out there and play hard the whole way through. It’s something we had to earn and it’s great to have this team win it all again.

“We played some very competitive teams throughout the playoffs and we have a core group in place that was able to carry us a long way. We had to get out to an early lead. We were able to do that and it really gave our players a major confidence boost.”

Burbank, which won the District 16 and Section 2 championships to advance to the state championship, scored three runs in the first and second innings to grab a quick 6-0 lead Tuesday. Sasha Quitanar had a two-run double in the first to make it 3-0. A run-scoring double in the second by Savannah Flores gave Burbank a 4-0 lead.

Chrysikos, a right-hander, made the lead stand up with a splendid effort in the circle. She struck out nine and yielded three runs on four hits.

“We got all of those runs early and I just had to remain focused and hold the lead,” Chrysikos said. “It’s great to get this far and win it all.

“I’m just very happy to be a part of the team.”

Burbank finished with six hits, including two from Stevie Dabbadie. Samantha Buckley scored a pair of runs for Burbank, which defeated Westchester Del Rey in the title contest last season.

Burbank opened the tournament Saturday with a 13-3 against Banning before posting a 9-4 win against Victorville American on Sunday. Banning, which won the Section 9 championship, reached the title game with a 9-8 victory versus Victorville on Monday.

“We knew we’d get a tough test from Banning,” Marc Dabbadie said. “They came in with nothing to lose.”

Flores, a third baseman, said Burbank never wavered from its goal of winning another championship.

“It means the world to win it,” Flores said. “We got out to such a big lead, but you don’t forget what it’s like to get that last out and jump up and down with your teammates.”

The team also included Ali Bragg, Mia Castro, Sofia Remelius, Emma Mendoza and Ischel Sanchez.