No. 1 St. Francis to play for NorCal championship

NO. 1 ST. FRANCIS 4, NO. 4

SHELDON-SACRAMENTO 0

Three turned into the magic number for the St. Francis softball team on Thursday as the Lancers beat Sheldon-Sacramento in the California Interscholastic Federation NorCal Division I semifinals.

University of Washington-bound Sydney Stewart provided most of the run support with a threerun blast to right-center in the bottom of the third.

“It looked like it was dying and dying and I thought it was going to hit the fence,” Stewart said. “But then when it went over I was ecstatic.”

That was preceded by a momentum-shifting double play in the top of the third.

St. Francis sophomore Kate Munnerlyn then retired the final 12 batters – three per inning.

“Everyone just got hyped after that,” the lefthander said. “Next thing you know, we just get hits, get hits, and get 1-2-3 outs on the field.”

Top-seeded St. Francis (30-2) avenged one of its only losses, which came at the Livermore Stampede in April courtesy of No. 4 Sheldon (28-6).

“At the beginning of the season it was raw, we weren't as experienced,” Stewart said. “We knew that we needed to come back and win this game just for redemption and just so that we can move on and play another game.”

Just like in Tuesday's quarterfinal, Minnesotabound Jessica Oakland provided an insurance run with a solo blast in the fifth inning.

“I feel like every time

I homer, she homers – or vice-versa,” said Oakland, who clubbed her teamleading 21st home run. “We always feed off each other.”

St. Francis will host No. 3 Clovis (27-6) in today's championship game at 4 p.m.

“We want to end our season and our time here at St. Francis with a bang,” Stewart said.

DIVISION II

NO. 5 BENICIA 5, NO. 1 NOTRE

DAME-SALINAS 2, 10 INNINGS >> Robynn Balmediano drove in two runs in the tenth inning to break a 2-2 tie and lead Benicia to an upset win over top-seeded Notre DameSalinas.

The Panthers (24-6) will visit No. 2 seed Lincoln-Stockton today at 4 p.m. for the title. Lincoln (26-5-1) beat Central Catholic-Modesto 1-0 in nine innings to qualify for the championship game.

DIVISION V

NO. 3 LOS ALTOS 4, NO. 2 ST. HELENA 2 >> Sophomore Sophia Asar pitched a complete game and knocked in two runs with a basesloaded single to lead the Eagles into the CIF NorCal D-V championship game. They will visit No. 1 seed Big Valley ChristianModesto today at 4 p.m.

Asar, a lefty who has pitched all but one inning this season for Los Altos, lined her single to left in the sixth to make it a 3-0 game. St. Helena came back with two runs in the bottom of the inning, but that was all.

Center fielder Kaitlyn Smiley made a diving catch in the six to help preserve the Los Altos lead.

The Eagles will take a 17-12-1 record into the title game. Big Valley Christian improved to 21-6 after crushing Lowell-San Francisco 15-1.