Notre Dame-Belmont looks for first Central Coast Section softball title since 2009

But there was no question which was the better team Wednesday. NDB, which finished third in the Ocean Division, overwhelmed King’s, hanging a 14-2, mercy-rule win on the Knights in a Central Coast Section Division IV semifinal game Wednesday.

The Tigers now advance to the DIV title game at 10 a.m Saturday at San Jose City College. They will face No. 3 Branham (13-12), which shut out No. 7 Pacific Grove 5-0 in the other semifinal game Wednesday at Los Gatos High School.

It is NDB’s third championship game appearance since 2022.

Considering NDB (15-11-1) was breaking in a slew of freshmen players in 2026, it took a while for the Tigers to gel this season.

But with Wednesday’s win, the Tigers have won six in a row and nine of their last 10.

“We played a very tough opening schedule,” said NDB head coach Nick Dykes. “It took a little while to put the pieces together.”

And it took a little while for the Tigers to get going Wednesday — but just a little. NDB was retired in order in the bottom of the first and the Tigers didn’t go down in order for the rest of the game.

King’s (11-13) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when leadoff hitter Sophie Giles led off the game with a triple and scored a Chaeli Yamakoshi fielder’s choice on a safety squeeze bunt.

Kes Wong then led off the second with a single and suddenly there was activity in the NDB bullpen.

But Dykes wasn’t worried about his starting pitcher, Caroline Zerella.

“We have five pitchers. One starts, another plays defense and the other three … are always (staying ready),” Dykes said “That’s part of our format.”

Turns out there was nothing to be worried about. The Knights scratched out another run in the top of the third, but that was it as Zerella pitched all five innings, giving up two runs on five hits, striking out two and walking none.

“[Zerella] was awesome,” Dykes said. (She) was missing two pitches, so we got together to talk about what was working.

“She has really good spin, really good location and she lets the defense make plays behind her.”

It also helped that the Tigers’ offense staked Zerella to a big lead, using a five-run second inning to take control.

It was the first of two big innings for the Tigers, as they added a seven-run third.

In the second, it was the bottom of the order that set the table — and they did it all game long. Nicole Stancil, Molly Hipps and Stella Hird combined for six of the Tigers’ 12 hits.

Emma Hogan’s two-run, pinch-hit single in the fourth and the bottom part of the order drove in four runs.

While it was the bottom of the order that set the table, it was Skylar Loo who cleared them, with her three-run double being the big hit in the second inning. Stancil and Hird also supplied RBIs as the Tigers sent 11 batters to plate.

“It was weird. The first weeks (of the season), she was off with her swing,” Dykes said of Loo. “But the last two months, her swing has been right. She’s really dialed in right now.”

The Tigers sent another 11 batters to the plate in the third inning, scoring seven more time to open up a 12-2 lead. This time, the Knights didn’t allow Loo to hurt them, intentionally walking her to load the bases in the third.

But Hailey Truong, Allie Dorn and Hogan all had the big hits, as they all drove in a pair during the rally. The Tigers then added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth, with Juliette Ramirez coming up with a two-run double.

Eight of 10 Tigers batters had at least one hit. Loo led the way, going 2 for 3 with the RBIs; Truong, Ramirez, Dorn, Hipps and Hird all had two hits apiece.

The Tigers will now play for their first CCS title since winning the CCS Division III crown in 2009.

“It’s all about [the players]. I don’t throw a pitch. I don’t catch,” Dykes said. “[Playing for a title] is great for the program.”