The Marlboro softball team began their march to defend their Section 9 Class B championship by posting two wins on Saturday in Highland.

The Iron Dukes won the championship with an 11-4 win over Division III champion Pine Plains at Tony Williams Park.

Leah Gunsett got the win in the circle with a complete game effort. She struck out five batters. She had three hits at the plate. Kaitlyn Gordon had three hits, a run scored and two RBIs. Kalista Birkenstock had three hits and two runs scored. Emma Jackson had two hits, and Ella Leduc had one hit and three RBIs. Emily Tarsio had two hits and two RBIs.

Gunsett threw her first complete game of the day, as she struck out eight batters leading the Dukes to a 5-1 win over the Division I champion FDR Presidents in the semifinals at Highland High School.

Leduc had two hits, including a double for the Dukes, with a run scored and an RBI. Jackson had two hits and two RBIs and Taylor Castellani had three hits. Lily Sullivan had a hit, an RBI and three walks, while Birkenstock doubled, scored a run, and stole a base.

It’s been a season of milestones for the Dukes this year, as Leduc notched her 100th career hit, Gunsett struck out her 200th batter and Birkenstock recorded 30 hits, 30 runs scored and 30 stolen bases for the season.

The Dukes will have another non-league game with the Presidents on Wednesday.