Queen Creek's softball repeated as champion Saturday afternoon at the annual Hamilton Softball Invitational, hosted by Hamilton High School.

Two of the culprits guiding Queen Creek's repeat - a 7-2 triumph over Hamilton - were the same as last season. They would be sisters Jade and Jenae Berry.

Jade, a senior, again supplied much of the offense. She collected three hits and drove in five runs. Jenae, a junior, did her damage in the circle with a matter-of-fact effort. She threw a complete game, allowing six hits, walking three and striking out seven.

The game was tied 2-2 after five innings. Queen Creek (13-1-1) scored runs in the first and fifth. Hamilton answered with two in the bottom of the fifth for the brief deadlock. Queen Creek snapped the tie, secured the outcome and finished the scoring with a five-run, sixth inning. 

Queen Creek's five-run, winning rally began with a Makenzi Padilla double, followed by a Jackie Oster RBI single and Jenae Barry sacrifice fly  for a 4-2 lead. The Bulldogs sixth-inning at-bat was an out away from ending with just the two runs. However, a walk to first-place hitter Reese Lee and single by Ce Ce Marquez kept it going. Jade Berry followed capping her day by with a knock-out, three-run homer.

The top four batters in Queen Creek's lineup combined for nine of its 10 hits, six of its seven runs scored and five of its seven RBI. Seven of Queen Creek's starting batting lineup picked up a least one hit.

Hamilton mustered six hits with Amirah Lenon the only one with multiple hits (2 for 3). Hamilton's Caitlyn Parsons acounted for the Huskies runs with a two-run homer to left in the fifth. Hamilton missed its best chances to score early. It left five runners on base (three in the second and two in the third).

Both schools return to regular-season play next week for the rest of the season. Queen Creek hosts Desert Vista on Tuesday in its 6A Central Region opener, hosts Sunnyslope on Wednesday and visits Desert Vista on Friday.

 Hamilton doesn't begin 6A Premier Region play until the first week of April. The Huskies have a pair of non-region, road games next week - Monday at Desert Ridge and Tuesday at San Luis.