Yokota's Claire Smith tags the ball against Perry. (Ashley Angell/Special to Stripes)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea – Yokota’s three core seniors exited in style Thursday as the Panthers became the third DODEA-Pacific team to cap their season with a Far East tournament title three-peat.

Erica Haas tossed a no-hitter – the 20th thrown in the Pacific this season – and she and Zaylee Gubler and Kayla Bogdan combined to drive in five runs as the Panthers routed Matthew C. Perry 16-1 in the Far East Division II softball tournament final at Humphreys High School.

“It’s definitely the best way for me to end the season,” said Haas, who gave up one unearned run and walked four while striking out four. She threw 45 pitches, 23 for strikes. “I’m really glad to end my senior year with a bang.”

Haas helped herself by batting 2-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases. Gubler, Yokota’s other ace right-hander and the tournament Most Valuable Player, drove in two runs and stole two bases, while Bogdan, the Panthers’ catcher, also had two RBIs.

It was Bogdan’s younger sister, Molly, who slammed the door on the Samurai with a three-run inside-the-park home run down the left-field line.

“I was rounding (first base) and was smiling,” Molly Bogdan said. “It made my day rounding all those bases; it felt so good going home.”

The three-run round-tripper made the score 13-1 in the bottom of the third inning and gave the Panthers a sense that they were closing in on their third straight title.

“It hyped up the whole team to finish strong,” Molly Bogdan said.

Yokota's Kayla Bogdan rounds third past Perry infielder Miah Apperson toward home. (Ashley Angell/Special to Stripes)

Perry right-hander Leah Hamner delivers against Yokota. (Ashley Angell/Special to Stripes)

The victory gave the Panthers their DODEA-Pacific-record fifth Far East Division II title dating back to 2015. Perry was trying for its first D-II championship. The Samurai lost to the Panthers in the 2023 final.

Claire Smith also had two RBIs and Samaria Askew and Gracie Kenney each batted 2-for-3 for Yokota. Leah Hamner took the loss, giving up three hits, three walks and hitting five batters, for the Samurai, who committed six errors as a team.

In addition to the Panthers, Kadena won its third straight D-I softball title and Zama its third consecutive D-II baseball crown on Wednesday. Haas said she and Kadena pitcher Julia Petruff are close “and I congratulated Julia on her awards. It’s amazing,” Haas said.

The win was bittersweet for Molly Bogdan, who has played her last game with the blue and gold. Her family transfers to the Washington, D.C., area after the school year.

Still, Bogdan and Haas said they’ll relish the victory for the moment. “We’re going to celebrate all night and on the flight home,” Molly Bogdan said.