(Stars and Stripes)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa – Sometimes, it takes an unexpected defeat to awaken a sleeping giant.

That was the case Wednesday with Kadena’s softball team, which wrapped up its third straight Far East Division I tournament title with a 15-1 romp over Kubasaki – a day after the Dragons beat the Panthers for the first time this season 9-4 in a round-robin contest.

“When we lost, it hurt us,” said senior Julia Petruff, who got the win in Wednesday’s final. “We knew we could do it if we tried our best and gave it our all. We told ourselves, everything we worked for, we were just going to put out on the field and have fun. And we did great.”

It was the eighth Far East title for the Panthers (15-3-2), extending their Pacific record. The Dragons (10-13) were seeking their third Far East championship and first since 2018.

Wednesday’s final saw the first, second and fourth batters in Kadena’s lineup do most of the damage. Petruff, her twin sister Jessica and tournament Most Valuable Player Jada Wolfgang combined to go 9-for-11 with five RBIs and six stolen bases.

“We were locked in from warmups,” Jessica Petruff said. “We knew we were going to win. We had the mindset and we did it.”

Tuesday’s defeat made the Panthers realize they were a momentum-based team, Kadena coach Daniel Lynn said. “When they (Dragons) took the momentum, we decided to set the tone from the beginning, be ready to go, get in front and we did.”

In addition to three D-I titles, Kadena in 2022 captured the title in the All-DODEA-Japan tournament at Yokosuka Naval Base, giving the Petruff sisters four championships in four finals.

“I love winning and it feels great to win with my team,” Julia Petruff said. “I’m glad to got a chance to play in championship games the last four years and I’m really grateful.”