MOUNTAIN VIEW — For most of Tuesday afternoon, St. Francis’ softball team looked every bit like the unit that spent the regular season romping through Bay Area competition, run-ruling San Ramon Valley 10-0 in five innings.

The impressive NorCal Division I victory followed St. Francis’ stunning loss to Hollister in the CCS Open Division title game on Saturday, a defeat that prevented the Lancers from three-peating as Open champs.

Though the Mountain View school was in control for most of Tuesday’s game, it started out looking like a continuation of the Hollister debacle for the Lancers.

One error plus a wild pitch on the first two batters of the day equaled an unhappy St. Francis coach in Mike Oakland to start the showdown between elite programs. A runner stood at second with no outs and SRV’s best hitters due up.

But with ace pitcher Kate Munnerlyn in top form, the Lancers sandwiched popups in between a swinging strikeout to swerve out of danger’s way in the top of the first. 

The defending NorCal champions dominated afterward and easily advanced to the second round, where they will host Central-Fresno.

“It wasn’t our best start, but what I liked about it was that we didn’t panic,” Oakland said. “We stayed composed and got out of it.” 

St. Francis took advantage of a Jaime Oakland single and an error to set up slugger Rebecca Quinn, who drove in the run on the groundout in the bottom of the first. 

After Quinn drove in Alexis O’Gorman and Hannah Cushing got Quinn across the plate with a single into center in the third inning, Munnerlyn made the 3-0 lead feel like 13-0. 

The lefthander struck out eight and allowed just two hits in five innings of work. That was all the work St. Francis needed from her after driving in scoring seven in the fifth and run-ruling the game.

O’Gorman, who was 3 for 4 with a team-high three RBIs, ended the showdown with a bases-clearing single. Oakland, the last runner to cross home plate, tied catcher Isabella Sandoval with two RBIs for a St. Francis team that had 12 hits. 

After the final out, O’Gorman made it clear that St. Francis’ dream run to a second consecutive NorCal crown would involve a rubber match at Hollister in the final.

“If everything works out perfectly, we want to play them again and get redemption,” said O’Gorman, her coach adding, “For us to be able to continue on and not have that (game against Hollister) be our last game, that was a blessing.”

St. Francis spoke about their ambitions, but San Ramon Valley’s leaders opted for appreciation. Though the Wolves ended the season without a section or NorCal crown, its seniors beamed with pride while describing how the year went,

“It’s tough to end the season this way, but I’m glad that for my senior year we went that far, and changed the SRV program for the better,” Paige McLeod said. 

“We performed really well in sports as a school this year, and even though not being one of the teams that got that NCS title, we still got a lot of support from our peers,” shortstop Sam Shah said. 

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Coach Lori Smith, who has been with the program for 12 years, said Tuesdays’ game would be her last in charge of the Danville school. She believed she left the program in a better place than she found it, leaving with the school’s first East Bay Athletic League title in recent memory. 

“I think it’s time for a new face or a change,” Smith said. “I will miss all of them, because they’re amazing, and we were super lucky to go out on a high note.”

San Ramon Valley ended the season 23-7, and St. Francis improved to 27-3 and will host Central on Thursday. 

“I imagine we’re going to have to grind it out,” Oakland said about the next game.