Kadena right-hander Julia Petruff delivers in the championship against Kubasaki. Thought to have been lost for the season with an elbow injury suffered during cheer, Petruff returned to get the wins in both the semifinal and championship, pitching three total games in Far East. (Addison Leising/Special to Stripes)

KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa – Julia Petruff had been feared lost for the season after injuring her elbow – her pitching elbow – in an accident during winter cheerleading.

But the Kadena junior simply refused to remain sidelined, not with her Panthers softball team vying for a Far East Division I tournament title repeat.

She started and won Wednesday’s semifinal, a 15-0 win over Humphreys, then came in in relief of starter Nao Grove and shut down Okinawa rival Kubasaki for a 10-5 championship victory Wednesday at Kadena’s Four Diamonds Complex.

“I got to pitch at the very end,” said Petruff, who pitched in just four games this season after spending it mostly as a student-assistant coach.

Petruff got the necessary practices in late in the season, was cleared by her physician to resume activity and the Panthers got the OK to play her by DODEA-Pacific athletics coordinator Tom McKinney, according to Panthers coach Joy Sims.

“I had 100 percent confidence in her,” Sims said of Petruff, who pitched 12 total innings, allowing seven hits, six walks, just one earned run and striking out 18 in her four games. “She capitalized on the opportunity and proved exactly who she was.”

The Panthers once more finished a season on top. It was their second straight D-I softball title and Pacific-record seventh overall.

And they did it with their fourth head coach in as many seasons. Sims had coached at Daegu for the past several seasons, moved briefly to Guantanamo Bay where she coached the Pirates softball team, then transferred to Okinawa where she took over the Panthers.

“It’s definitely an amazing feeling to be able to take over this group of girls and keep up their spirits and skill level,” Sims said, adding that some of the 18 on the roster were brand new to the game. “This was very rewarding.”

First-year Panthers shortstop Jada Wolfgang led the way offensively, going 7-for-8 in the semifinal and championship with a double and a triple, three RBIs and three steals. Lia Connolly was 6-for-7 with a home run and three RBIs.

Kubasaki, which lost all nine times it played Kadena this season, reached the final by routing American School In Japan 27-3. Hailey Brassard drove in five runs for the Dragons in the two games and Breslyn Weeks batted 5 for 6 with six RBIs.

Already, Petruff, a hard-throwing right-hander who was named Best Pitcher in last year’s Far East at Humphreys, says she’s looking forward to next season. “I have to work on my changeup,” she said.

Kadena's Emaleigh Appleton gets tagged out by Kubasaki catcher Taylor Tobin during Wednesday's championship game in the Division I softball tournament. The Panthers repeated their title, beating the Dragons 10-5. (Addison Leising/Special to Stripes)