RENO — Spanish Springs played in its sixth straight Northern 4A softball championship Saturday. Thanks to a 3-0 victory over Damonte Ranch, The Cougars now have their fourth regional championship during that stretch.

Spanish Springs won a trio of consecutive Northern 4A titles in 2006, 2007 and 2008, but were beaten twice on championship day a year ago by Reed to miss out on a North crown and a state tourney trip. Cougar fans feel their club is back where it belongs after a one-year hiatus — atop the northern Nevada softball world.

The Cougars capped their perfect four-game tournament run with the shutout victory over Damonte Ranch. The Cougars did not give up a run in the postseason tourney.

Spanish Springs ace right-hander Karlyn Jones has signed a national letter of intent to play Division I softball for the University of Pittsburgh. On Saturday against Damonte Ranch, she once again showed why the Panthers wanted her.

Damonte leadoff hitter Ashley Barrett singled to open the game, but she was left stranded. The single was one of only three hits the Mustangs managed against Jones. Britnee Dolley and Ashleigh Westover also singled for the Mustangs but the trio of hits were the only baserunners Damonte Ranch could muster in the contest and none of three even reached second base.

Jones finished with a five-strikeout, 0-walk outing in the complete-game victory.

“She’s a gamer,” Spanish Springs coach Jeff Davidson said of his senior hurler. “In tight games, she’s who I want to have the ball ... She’s been so focused. She did not like how last year ended. She’s been motivated all year long.”

Spanish Springs used the long ball to do its offensive damage in the title tilt. In the first inning, Stevie Trevino, the Cougars’ No. 2 hitter, crushed a pitch that landed beyond the fence in right field for a solo homer, her first varsity round tripper.

“I saw the pitch and thought well maybe I’ll get a line drive back up the middle,” Trevino said. “But I turned on it, which I don’t usually do. I just thought it was a pop fly but when I rounded first base I saw it was a home run. I don’t even have a home run trot.”

The dinger gave Spanish Springs a 1-0 lead and that score stayed intact until the fifth inning. That’s when the SSHS crew tacked on a pair of insurance runs. With one out, Cougars junior Danica Arterburn hit a liner that the Damonte outfielder dropped for an error. The Cougs made them pay.

Julianna Waller, a reserve outfielder for Spanish Springs much of the spring season, got the start at designated hitter for the local squad Saturday and she took advantage of the opportunity. She followed Arterburn and bashed the first pitch she saw deep to left field. The shot was 25-feet above ground level and still going when it cleared the left-field wall for a two-run home run.

“I was just going up there trying to jump on the first pitch,” Waller said. “It was awesome. It was so exciting. I don’t know a better feeling. This is the best.”

The two blasts accounted for all the offense Spanish Springs needed in the championship contest. The Purple and Teal were limited to six hits in the win.

“It’s always big for us to get on top early,” Davidson said. “It fires us up and gets us going. We hit a lot of balls hard today and they made some great plays.”

The Cougars (30-1) will meet Sunset Region champion Palo Verde Friday at the Hixon softball complex on the University of Nevada campus. First pitch is slated for 10 a.m.

Damonte Ranch earned the right to face Spanish Springs in the North title game by beating Carson earlier Saturday morning. The Mustangs will be the North’s No. 2 seed, at state and face Sunrise Region champion Green Valley at noon Friday.

“We knew we had to win that first one Saturday,” Damonte Ranch coach Tierney Cahill said. “We just wanted to get there (to state). We’ve never been there before.

“We feel like we’ve been flying under the radar all year. People have underestimated us. Now we take our momentum and intensity and try to follow through next week.”