ELK GROVE, Calif. – Sophomore shortstop Francesca Guerrera finished 4-for-5 and produced five total runs as St. Francis defeated Cosumnes Oaks in a wild 21-10 slugfest during Delta League girls' softball action Thursday evening.
The Troubadours extend their win streak to seven games in improving to 18-2 for the year and 7-1 in league. The Wolfpack drops to 6-10 overall, 2-7 in Delta League play.
Guerrera, who scored three runs and drove in two for five runs produced, was one of six St. Francis players with at least two hits. She singled to lead off the contest to spark a six-run first inning for the Troubies, drive a ball through the left side to end that frame, battled back from an 0-2 count to walk in the second, delivered an RBI single on a comebacker in the fourth, reached on a bunt to load the bases in the sixth, then recorded her final hit on a pop-up that eluded the CO defense in short right. Guerrera nearly scored a fourth time when her stolen base coupled with an errant throw put her on third base in the top of the sixth, but pitcher Madisyn Coleman wrapped up the frame with a strikeout to strand Guerrera.
Pitcher Hope Jenkins hit 3-for-3 with two doubles and two walks, while center fielder Grace Jenkins hit 2-for-5 with a three-run homer in the first. Kayla Garber (2-for-2, RBI), Haley Kim (2-for-2), Amy Abueg (2-for-2, two RBI, two runs) also had multiple hits. Kim also earned her way on with two walks and a hit by pitch, eventually scoring on each of her five plate appearances.
St. Francis extended its lead to as much as 9-0 by the middle of the third, but surrendered back-to-back grand slams by Wolfpack catcher Jovi Stevens in the third and fourth innings, respectively. This cut the lead to 11-10.
However, the Troubies tacked on a run in the fifth before piling on nine tallies in the sixth to put the run rule in effect. Freshman Kylee Garrett, who entered for Garber in the fourth, rapped out a two-run single to start the rally. Grace Jenkins followed with a single, then Hope Jenkins cleared the bases with her double to the left-center gap.
The St. Francis-CO junior varsity game was canceled due to a lack of Wolfpack players, allowing sophomore call-ups Hailey Jenkins and Natalie Vigil to start on the right side of the infield.
Thursday's win also marks the first time St. Francis has scored at least 20 runs since March 14, 2014, when Alexis Viramontes' three triples paced a 20-4 win over McQueen High of Reno at a tournament in Elk Grove.
The Troubies break from Delta League play for a road game at Vista Del Lago on Monday, then returns home to host Franklin on Tuesday. Both dates have 4 p.m. first pitches for the varsity and JV diamonds.
