Kate Munnerlyn, the Bay Area News Group 2024 softball player of the year, throws a pitch for St. Francis in the 2024 CCS Open Division softball title game (Larry Kauk/Bay Area News Group)
Facing the top of the formidable Archbishop Mitty lineup and clinging to a slim 4-2 lead entering the sixth inning, St. Francis looked to left-handed ace Kate Munnerlyn to close out the Central Coast Section Open Division championship.
A half-dozen Monarchs came up to the plate, and all six Mitty batters turned into outs as Munnerlyn shut the door on a comeback and clinched the program’s third Open Division title in four seasons.
“This feels amazing,” Munnerlyn said.
On a team stacked with future Division I players, Munnerlyn was indisputably the best of the bunch.
The Texas A&M commit went 15-0 with a 0.52 ERA and 183 strikeouts in the circle, and also hit .356 with 35 RBIs and six home runs.
For this, Munnerlyn repeated as the Bay Area News Group softball player of the year. Not only was she the team’s top pitcher and a formidable hitter, but Munnerlyn also took on more of a leadership role in the dugout.
“With Rebecca (Quinn), Shannon (Keighran) and me, personally, we helped hold this team together,” Munnerlyn said.
Munnerlyn shined the brightest against the best competition.
She allowed zero runs in regular-season matchups against eventual CCS Division II champion Capuchino and NorCal Division II finalist Willow Glen.
Against top-notch opponents at the prestigious Michelle Carew tournament in Southern California, Munnerlyn’s brilliant pitching helped the Lancers win despite the Mountain View school scoring just five runs in three games.
Munnerlyn struck out 17 in a complete-game shutout against Roosevelt, and then fanned 10 in a one-hit shutout against Mission Viejo.
Those gaudy strikeout numbers continued once the Lancers got back to the Bay Area. She K’d 17 in victories against Archbishop Mitty and Valley Christian.
Once the postseason rolled around, Munnerlyn hit another gear.
She shut out Willow Glen and hit a home run in a run-rule victory against the Rams, and then allowed just one earned run in the section championship against the Monarchs.
It was sweet revenge for Munnerlyn and the Lancers, who were denied a CCS three-peat by Hollister last season.
“This is what we’re supposed to do,” Munnerlyn said after St. Francis beat Mitty to improve to 28-0. “We were supposed to win last year, too, honestly. We came out and got our redemption, or our get back.”
The Lancers bid for an undefeated season came up short when Amador Valley stunned the Lancers 4-1 in the first round of the NorCal regional.
But even in defeat, Munnerlyn played well. She ended her high school career pitching 4 ⅓ innings of scoreless relief.
“I am so sad to lose her after this year,” Jaime Oakland said. “She blows us all away in practice and works her butt off.”
