Old school: San Ramon Valley’s mastery of “lost art” powers softball team to NCS playoff victory

DANVILLE – An infield single here, a bunt for another hit there and a healthy number of walks sprinkled in between moved runners from one base to the next in San Ramon Valley’s 9-5 victory over visiting Freedom.

In theory, the Wolves brand of softball is antiquated and difficult, relying on heady baserunning and multiple SRV batters doing their part against good pitching to methodically move around the diamond without a bases-clearing extra-base hit. 

But during Wednesday’s first-round win in the North Coast Section Division I playoffs, the Wolves tore up the base paths and lit up the scoreboard using 11 singles, five walks and just two doubles. 

“It’s a lost art these days, but we’ve turned to it because we feel like we can use it to our advantage,” said first-year coach Mike O’Brien, whose team has hit just three home runs all season. 

San Ramon Valley is plenty familiar with its next opponent. The Danville school will take a short drive down 680 on Friday and take on California, the same program that beat SRV 5-1 in last season’s NCS Division I title game. 

“The big ‘NCS Division I Champs’ sign at Cal, that’s a big motivator.” SRV infielder Brianna Schapiro said. 

After Freedom put up two runs in the top of first when Madison Evers-Lyles singled two teammates, the home team found themselves facing a frustratingly-familiar early deficit. . 

Coming off a surprising run to the EBAL tournament title, the NCS championship game and a berth in the NorCal Open Division playoffs in 2023, the Wolves struggled to find consistency for most of this season.

 A five-game losing streak was followed by a four-game winning run, and just when the Danville school seemed to be finding its stride, San Ramon Valley stumbled down the stretch, losing 3 of 4,. 

They were still granted the No. 8 seed and a home game by the section, and showed their resolve by scoring three in the second inning to take the erase the early deficit. Lila Mcleod, Isla Higgins and Stanford commit Sophia Jin each drove in a run apiece. 

“We don’t have to be a big home run team, because if we just get on base, we know we can get around because we trust in each other,” said Schapiro, who was called the team’s funniest player by teammates  and gave the Wolves plenty to smile about after she went 2 for 3 with a walk. 

After Freedom pitcher Maya Soto blasted a solo home run to tie the game in the third, SRV retook the lead in the fourth when senior Bella Ryan, Higgins and Addie Layous put another three runs on the board.

Soto and Olivia Hurtado drove in two more runs in the fifth to cut the lead to one, but the Wolves stayed steady. They scored the game’s final three runs on Ryan, Layous and Ava Lyons singles. 

“Whenever there’s mistakes on the field, we support each other and don’t let that person feel like they’re letting the team down,” O’Brien said. 

Even though it didn’t show up on the stat sheet, Evers-Lyles’ fantastic glovework turned what should have been doubles by Layous and Lyons’ into just RBI infield singles. 

The result gave the Sacramento State commit a sense of sickening deja vu, as the Wolves defeated Freedom in last season’s NCS Division I semifinal. 

“Honestly though, regardless of the outcome, I’m proud of us because we gave it our all,” Evers-Lyles said. 

San Ramon Valley improved to 13-11, while Freedom ended its season 14-8.

SRV is hoping history won’t repeat itself at California, where its old-fashioned strategy will need to scratch out runs against the top seeded Grizzlies. 

“We all remember how last season ended, and we’re ready to come back,” senior Gianna Baccei said. “We want it.”