Its performance over the past three days is a good start.

The Wildcats got production from every spot in the lineup and jumped on Alemany early to beat the Warriors 7-3 in the championship game of the Hart Varsity Softball Tournament on Saturday at Central Park.

The win capped an impressive weekend for West Ranch (4-1), which finished the tournament 4-0.

"It's really exciting," said West Ranch outfielder Bryanna De La Torre, who was named the tournament MVP. "I'm so happy to get a big tournament win. Hopefully people will take us seriously this year."

It'll be hard not to, especially if the Wildcats are as balanced as they were Saturday.

West Ranch took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the championship game after first baseman Alex Gaff doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by catcher Janelle Lindvall.

West Ranch blew the game open with a four-run second inning. De La Torre singled and Madison Vogelsang walked to start things off before outfielder Haley Hineman hit a fielder's choice that plated De La Torre.

Michaela Hernandez followed up with an RBI single to score Vogelsang, and leadoff hitter Kylie Sorenson later singled to plate Hineman and Hernandez.

Sorenson, just a freshman, is part of a young nucleus that West Ranch head coach Bob Shults said is an important part of the team.

"We have a phenomenal freshman class," he said. "Sorenson, (Lauren) Lombardi, Hineman, they could play for any team and really contribute."

All the while, starting pitcher Bailey Foster never let Alemany's offense get on track. Foster pitched the first four innings and allowed just two hits and one run, which was unearned.

Reliever Amanda Martin was strong as well, allowing two runs on five hits over the final three innings.

West Ranch scored another run in the third inning when Lindvall doubled and later came home on a sacrifice bunt by De La Torre. The Wildcats' last run came in the sixth when De La Torre singled, stole second and third and scored on a passed ball.

"I think we all worked together as a team," De La Torre said.

De La Torre finished 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs, while Sorenson was 1-for-3 with two RBIs.

Earlier in the day, Sorenson hit a two-run home to lift West Ranch past Highland 6-4 in the tournament semifinals.

The six runs the Wildcats scored represented the first runs allowed by Highland pitcher Aryn Feickert all tournament.

The title game was a rematch of the 2009 third-place game, which Alemany won 5-2.

Canyon, meanwhile, finished third this year thanks to a six-run first inning that lifted the Cowboys to a 7-5 victory over Pacifica Saturday in the third-place game.

"After what Canyon has done at this tournament in the past, I'm very proud of the girls going 3-1," said Canyon head coach Dwain Whalen.

Jenny Wunderlich and Miranda Simonet led off the game with back-to-back singles for the Cowboys (3-2), and Brittany Williams walked on four pitches.

Hayley Bottino drew a walk behind Williams to score Wunderlich, and Amber Evans hit a sacrifice fly to plate Simonet.

Hailey Alquitella then drew another walk, and one batter later Tina Dahlquist walked to score Williams.

Haley Trujillo then came through with a base hit to plate Bottino and Alquitella, and Wunderlich capped the inning with a single to score Dahlquist.

"It helps a lot to start off with an inning like that no matter who you're playing, and Pacifica is a very good team," Whalen said.

Canyon's final run came in the second inning on a solo home run by Evans, and Bottino was able to limit Pacifica's production from the circle, going six innings with two strikeouts and just seven hits.

Wunderlich finished 2-for-5, while Alquitella drew three walks.

A year after winning the tournament, Hart finished fifth this year by beating Highland 4-1 Saturday afternoon.

"It's a young team," said Hart head coach Steve Calendo. "We lost a lot of seniors. The girls are hitting the ball well."

After missing the Indians' loss to Alemany on Saturday morning due to the SAT test, Lauren Anderson had a home run and an RBI single for Hart against Highland.

Brenna Carlson had an RBI single that scored Tracy Chandless, and Chandless also scored on an RBI single by Jessica Jones.

Anderson's RBI single scored Nikki Haslock.

"I thought they played great this weekend," Calendo said. "The hustle and enthusiasm are there."