Top-seeded Notre Dame-Belmont sunk by Moreau Catholic Mariners, 7-3, in the CIF Northern California Division V semifinals

It’s just that the Mariners did a better job. Both teams hit the ball hard, but the fourth-seeded Mariners hit the ball harder and farther as they knocked off top-seeded Notre Dame-Belmont, 7-3 in Belmont Thursday.

“We set the table a few times. Just didn’t cash in,” said NDB head coach Nick Dykes.

Moreau (18-12) will face off against No. 2 Le Grand for the Nor Cal Division V title Saturday afternoon.

NDB (16-12-1) certainly had its chances. The Tigers had base runners on in every inning, collecting eight hits, and 15 total base runners, but they stranded six in scoring position.

The Mariners, on the other hand, always seemed to come up with the big hit and when they did, it tended be loud. Moreau had nine hits for the game, including five extra-base hits — two homers, two triples and a double.

“Pitching was a little off to start,” Dykes said. “Two inches left or right makes a difference.”

Caroline Zerella, who has been stellar in the circle for the Tigers the last several weeks, worked into just the third inning. She gave up only three hits, but they were all loud. She retired the Mariners in order to start the game, but Olivia Ritchie jumped on the first pitch of the second inning and deposited it over the fence in left-center field to put Moreau up 1-0.

But Zerella got the next three batters to get out of the inning, but she wasn’t as lucky in the third. A dropped popup on the first batter of the inning opened the door for a four-run frame for the Mariners.

Zerella got a strikeout of the No. 9 hitter to bring up leadoff batter Lexi Mejia. She hit a smash that was knocked down by shortstop Skylar Loo, but Mejia was on with an infield hit. Both she and Chloe Mowry came home when Ritchie drilled a 3-1 pitch to the right-field corner for a two-run triple and a 3-0 lead.

That ended the day for Zerella, with Dykes turning to freshman Brooke Lapin. She was greeted rudely when No. 3 hitter Siena Rios roped a two-run homer to nearly the same spot as Burrell’s shot and the Mariners were up 5-0.

But Lapin got a strikeout and then shook off a comebacker off her right pitching arm to get out of the inning without any further damage.

Lapin went the rest of way, working 4 2/3 innings, giving up single runs in the fifth and seventh innings, scattering six hits along the way.

“I thought Brooke did a great job,” Dykes said. “Just watching Brooke get out there and settle down really helped. We needed her to keep us in the game.”

Down 5-0, the Tigers started to chip away at its deficit. After Lapin retired the side in order in the top of the fourth, NDB got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning. Nicole Stancil led off the inning by reaching on an infield hit. Molly Hipps followed and hit what looked to be a forceout at second. But the Moreau second baseman missed the bag on the toss from shortstop Mejia and both runners were safe. Emma Hogan walked to load the bases and Stella Hird drove in the first run for the Tigers on a two-out fielder’s choice.

Moreau got the run back in the top of the fifth when Mejia led off with a triple and scored on a Burrell bloop single down the right-field line that second baseman Hird could not quite corral.

But NDB kept the pressure on the Mariners, answering right back in the bottom of the frame. This time if was Hailey Truong with the big hit, a leadoff triple to right-center field gap. Mariners starting pitcher Yazlin Rodrigues got the next two batters and looked to be out of the inning when Allie Dorn hit a popup on the infield.

But the Mariners couldn’t make the catch and Truong scored to cut the deficit to 6-2. Stancil followed with a walk before Hipps flared a single to right to drive in Dorn and the Tigers had cut the Mariners’ lead in half, 6-3.

But NDB would get no closer as the Mariners tacked on an insurance run in the seventh on a Rodrigues RBI double. The Tigers would have runners in scoring position in both the sixth and seventh innings, but came up empty.

Truong capped her NDB career by going 2 for 4 with a double and triple. Hipps was the only other Tigers to collect two hits, a pair of singles.

Despite the end of the season, Dykes could not have been more satisfied with the way the Tigers played this season. Interest in the program increased this season and a number of freshmen got a year of varsity experience under their belts.

And the Tigers didn’t end the season empty handed. After all, they beat Branham 5-0 for the Central Coast Section Division IV championship, the first for the Tigers since 2009.

“Overall, just a really great season,” Dykes said.