SAN JOSE >> A roster littered with underclassmen in its inaugural season took its lumps early, overcoming growing pains in one of the top leagues in the section.

Having girls’ sports for the first time in 60 years did not dampen expectations at Palma High, despite a handful of players forced to miss the first half of the softball season due to the state transfer rule.

Yet, the identity of the program began to take shape when it mattered most, closing the regular season with a pair of wins to secure a spot in the Central Coast Section Division IV playoffs.

“All year long we knew we had the talent, no matter the grade,” Palma coach Sam Salter said. “I felt if we switched our mindset, we could get here. It was more about making sure we were all on the same page. Don’t think like underclassmen.”

A wave of emotion during a current five-game winning streak came to a halt Saturday as late-inning dramatics by the No. 8 seeded Chieftains fell short in a 4-3 loss to Woodside in the Division IV title game at San Jose City College.

Palma’s run to a section finals appearance in its first season included knocking off top seed Notre Dame-San Jose and No. 5 seed and WCAL power Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco by identical 3-2 scores.

“I told them after the game, if anything, this gave us the experience we need to return to this stage,” Salter said. “We have a taste of how it feels to lose. It’s the first step. But it’s a huge step.”

Enduring a 1-5 start to the season, and a six-game losing streak during league play — tested the fortitude of a squad that has seven freshmen and seven sophomores on its roster.

“We had some practices where we didn’t do softball,” said Salter, who pitched for Bakersfield State University. “We had competitive games like football and Red Rover. We tried to get back to having fun and bonding more.”

During Palma’s five-game winning streak, pitcher Sophie Cardinale showcased why she’s headed to Santa Clara University, tossing a pair of shutouts while striking out 13 against Sacred Heart Cathedral in the semifinal game.

“The way Sophie’s been performing, we definitely believed we had a chance,” Salter said. “It started slow. There were some nerves. But she has carried us during this run.”

After being touched for a two-out, three-run double by Victoria Torah in the first inning, Cardinale settled into a groove, limiting the Wildcats to a single run.

“Our infield has really evolved,” Salter said. “We had a lot of errors earlier in the year. We focused on reps and ground balls. Read the situation. The infield was key down the stretch.”

Members of the Peninsula Bay Division, Woodside (16-11) knocked off San Lorenzo Valley and No. 2 seed Watsonville to reach the finals.

Having left runners stranded on the bases in three of the first four innings, Palma cut a 4-0 deficit in half in the sixth when freshman Analysia Rocha tripled home fellow freshman Ashlyn Urmanita, with Maya Martinez adding a run-scoring single.

Down to their last three outs, freshman Reese Amaral ripped a single, stole second, and scored on freshman Keilani Pato’s sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Rocha, who doubled and tripled in the game, and hit six homers this spring, followed with a two-out blast that was run down in deep center to end the Chieftains’ rally.

“Honestly, it goes back to the first inning,” Salter said. “We were just a little nervous. It was a big stage. I don’t know if we were prepared for the moment. Next year it won’t feel overwhelming.”