Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Senior catcher Hannah Finck has been hugely influential for the Crusaders this season.

Whether they qualify for this year’s CIF NorCal state softball playoffs or not, it has been a memorable postseason run for the St. Bernard’s Crusaders.

And their success is something Crusaders fans noticed.

On Friday afternoon, the SB girls fell 10-9 to Berean Christian in a highly-entertaining North Coast Section Division-5 championship game in Concord.

On Sunday, they’ll find out off they have received an at-large berth for the 2024 NorCal playoffs, which get under way on Tuesday.

“We have an outside chance,” head coach Brian Finck said. “I don’t know for sure.”

The good news for the Crusaders is that both the Eureka girls in 2022 and the Del Norte girls last season each received an at-large berth for the NorCals after losing NCS deciders, so their season could continue next week.

Their memorable playoff run included wins over The Bay School and St. Vincent de Paul, as well as a 4-0 victory over Lower Lake in front of a large and enthusiastic home crowd in Samoa on Tuesday.

“It was amazing,” Finck said of the home crowd on Tuesday, a crowd that inspired the SB girls to their first shutout of the season. “The biggest crowd I’ve ever seen (at Samoa). It’s nice to see the support for girls softball.”

Unfortunately, the Crusaders were unable to carry that defensive momentum into Friday’s final.

“It was not our best defensive game,” the head coach admitted. “It wasn’t as clean a game as the previous two.”

That proved costly, but it made for an entertaining back-and-forth showdown, and the SB bats did a good job compensating.

After taking an early one-run lead, the Crusaders gave up five runs in the bottom of the second, but would battle back with three more runs in the third to pull within one.

The Eagles then widened the gap with two more runs in the fourth to lead by three, only for the Crusaders to tie the game with three runs in the fifth.

With the game hanging in the balance, Berean Christian scored a run in the bottom of the sixth to re-take the lead.

But the advantage did not last, with SB senior Kiara McGinnis keying a two-run seventh with a big-time RBI-double to give the Crusaders a 9-8 lead after also driving in the tying run in the fifth.

“It was a line drive that went rocketing over the right fielder’s head,” Finck said of the clutch blast.

The Eagles, however, would have the final say when they added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh for the walk-off championship win.

“They were a good team and it was a good game,” Finck said. “The fans were definitely entertained, and it was nice to see the girls battle back.”

The ever-dangerous Sahara Tupua finished 2-for-4 for St. Bernard’s with two stolen bases and two runs scored, while senior catcher Hannah Finck was 2-for-2 with a double and also reached base twice after being hit by a pitch.

Hannah Finck, who has been a big team leader this season, also had a good game defensively, while throwing out a runner at third and not allowing any passed balls.

Makinsey Lemley also impressed and finished 2-for-4 with a run, while fellow sophomore Bailee White was 1-for-4.

Freshman Kyna Tupua, who has had a big impact in the outfield and on the bases this year, led off the game with a walk and would score a few minutes later, but she was injured on her way home.

Fellow freshman Chloe Grunden stepped in and did a good job off the bench, finishing 1-for-2 with a walk and two stolen bases.

Kyna Tuppa will be back in time for the NorCals should St. Bernard’s qualify.

Regardless of whether or not this is the end of the line for this year’s team, it was a memorable playoff run, and with so many freshmen and sophomores playing key roles, the future of the program appears to be in good hands.

Especially with the experience they got this season.

“Any time you get to a championship game you’re doing something right,” Brian Finck said “And it was really the whole team. It wasn’t just one or two players.”

In addition to the impressive Kyna Tupua and Grunden, freshman pitcher Oni Orcutt also enjoyed a very good year as she grew into her role in the circle.

“Oni did wonderful,” the head coach said. “She got us to the championship game and she kept us in the game. She pitched well. As a freshman, she did excellent.”

The young contingent also includes sophomores Lemley, White, Emma Mowery and Sahara Tupua, among others, all of whom played key roles all spring long.

“This team is in good hands for next year,” Brian Finck added.