CALIFORNIA — Alexa Larkin is a very good pitcher. Alexa Larkin pitching with a lead is even tougher.

In Thursday's WPIAL Quad A softball championship game, the Latrobe senior appeared dominant at times — at one point retiring 18 consecutive batters and finishing with 15 strikeouts in a 5-3 softball victory over the Raiders at California University's Lilly Field.

Larkin had a no-hitter and a 5-1 lead with one out in the seventh inning before Emily Watson singled through the left side and Lauren Davies belted a home run over the center field fence.

“When she has a lead, it's almost a certainty, but it isn't,” said Latrobe coach Bob Kovalcin. “It's never over until the last out. (Seneca Valley's) a great hitting team. We needed those runs. Look, they had a bloop and a blast.”

With two outs, Kelsey Mislan reached on a fielding error before Larkin struck out Alyssa Miller to end the game.

“She's a dominating pitcher and a leader,” said Kovalcin. “She said right before the game, ‘Give me the ball.'”

“She kept us off-balanced,” said Raiders coach George Trew. “She'll make you pay. She's a great pitcher.”

It was the Raiders who broke through first as Larkin handed them a first-inning gift.

After one-out walks to Sarah Blagg and Julia Vandrak, a wild pitch and an uncontested steal allowed the runners to advance to second and third base, respectively.

Following a strikeout by Megan Buletko, Larkin was called for an illegal pitch which plated the first run of the game.

Larkin had taken the ball from her glove on the mound, then returned the ball to her glove. By rule, the pitcher must throw the ball after it leaves the glove the first time.

“I think that woke everyone up,” said Kovalcin about his team. “You have to be ready. We had a little bit of jitters.”

Larkin fanned Watson to strike out the side and end the threat. It didn't take long for the Wildcats to mount one of their own.

Carm Moffa reached safely on an infield single and a throwing error allowed her to advance to second.

Rebecca Taylor walked before Ashley Perillo smacked a three-run homer to center off Emily Watson.

“It was upsetting,” said Watson. “I threw a curve ball and she pulled it. It was a great pitch, but it was a good hit.”

“That's why she's been our (flex),” said Kovalcin “She's been hitting the ball well the past few games. She's earned that spot. She can pound it.”

The Wildcats (14-5) squandered several early opportunities that allowed the Raiders (13-6) to stay close.

Latrobe had a runner caught stealing in the first inning and a batter called out for stepping on the plate with a runner at second base in the second inning.

In the third inning, one runner was ruled out at third and other runner was called out for not retouching third base on her way back to second on a wild pitch.

The 3-1 score stood until Moffa added a two-out RBI single in the fifth inning and Emily Banner scored on an error with two outs for the four-run advantage.

In the meantime, Larkin was in the process of mowing down the Raiders, retiring the side in order five consecutive innings before Watson's single broke up Larkin's no-hit bid.

“We have never given up,” said Trew about his team. “Win or lose, we keep playing. We just didn't play our best game.

“We put too many people on base and they made us pay for it,” Trew added.

The Raiders will now focus their attention on the state playoffs against McDowell, Monday at a site and time to be determined.

“The WPIAL season has ended, so now it's the state playoffs,” said Watson. “No one on this team has played in the state playoffs.

The state playoffs are a big thing. This team is a family. We just have to keep going.”

Notes: The championship was the third in the past five years for the Wildcats, who defeated Seneca Valley in the 2007 finals ... Larkin improved her record to 12-1 and increased her strikeouts to 154.

Latrobe 030 011 0 — 5 8 1Seneca Valley 100 000 2 — 3 2 2W: Alexa Larkin 7 IP (15K, 2BB).

L: Emily Watson 7 IP (3K, 3BB).

Latrobe (15-4): Kaity Finley 2-1B; Alexa Larkin 2-1B; Carm Moffa 2-1B, RBI; Ashley Perillo 3R-HR; Emily Banner 1B

Seneca Valley (13-6): Emily Watson 1B; Lauren Davies 2R-HR

Monday: PIAA First Round: Seneca Valley vs. McDowell, time and site to be determined