For the second time in eight days, Hollister dashed the St. Francis High softball team’s dreams of repeating as a playoff champion.
The Haybalers – who surprised the top-seeded and defending champ Lancers 4-0 in the Central Coast Section Open Division final May 27 – defeated them again in Saturday’s Northern California Division I title game. Host Hollister, the top seed this time, edged No. 2 St. Francis 1-0 in nine innings.
St. Francis, which crushed Clovis 6-0 in last year’s NorCal Division I final, struggled to get on base against the Haybalers Saturday afternoon. The Lancers mustered just two hits against Hollister ace Sophia Mariottini: a double by Rebecca Quinn and a single from Carly Cummings. Mariottini walked three.
St. Francis pitcher Kate Munnerlyn was nearly as dominant, striking out 11 batters (10 more than her counterpart), walking three and surrendering four hits. The one run Munnerlyn allowed wasn’t earned; the Haybalers scored on an infield error that enabled Kyla Hignel to go from second to home for the walk-off win.
St. Francis – which squeaked by visiting Central of Fresno 1-0 Thursday in the semifinals on Quinn’s RBI in the ninth – finished the season with a 28-4 overall record. Hollister, routed by St. Francis 10-2 in five innings March 25 in Mountain View, ended the year 30-3.
