SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior pitcher Hope Jenkins fired a two-hitter while delivering an RBI single in the fifth, and center fielder Olivia McFarland came up with two diving catches during the late frames, boosting St. Francis to 3-0 shutout of Elk Grove in the semifinal round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II softball championship at Schuster Field Tuesday afternoon.
The Troubadours improve to 26-3 for the season. The Thundering Herd wraps its season with a 21-7-1 overall record.
Jenkins, corner infielder Alex Garcia and left fielder Amy Abueg had the only three hits for St. Francis as Elk Grove righty Aissa Silva was masterful in her own right: nine strikeouts and just one unearned run. However, a key for the Troubie bats was working Silva deep into counts. The Herd starter fired 110 pitches and walked five. Jenkins threw 92 and issued three passes.
St. Francis broke up the scoreless tie in somewhat unusual fashion in the fourth. Francesca Guerrera and Jenkins each walked to start the proceedings. With runner Natalie Vigil replacing Jenkins as a courtesy runner, Troubie senior Kayla Garber attempted a bunt. Silva scooped up the ball and fired to third for the force, only to have her teammate drop the throw. With the bases jammed, Garcia followed with an RBI single on a grounder through the middle. Guerrera scored easily but EG's sophomore center fielder Addy Buckley came up firing to get Vigil at the plate. Silva then struck out back-to-back Troubies to hold the score at 1-0.
Two more runs crossed in the fifth for St. Francis, also on relative small-ball plays. McFarland led off with a walk after a protracted battle with Silva, then Abueg pushed McFarland to second on a sacrifice bunt. Elk Grove intentionally walked SFHS catcher and slugger Grace Jenkins to ensure force outs at all bases. Two batters later, Hope Jenkins slashed a single to right. Herd outfielder Taylor Fitzgerald fielded the ball and fired toward first. During that confusion, G. Jenkins and McFarland were already halfway toward third and home, respectively. McFarland slid in safely but the Elk Grove catcher could not hold on to the throw, allowing G. Jenkins to follow behind. St. Francis took a 3-0 lead on that play.
Silva had a chance to cut into that lead in the Herd's sixth. Fitzgerald led off with a sinking line drive to left, the Silva drilled a line drive toward center on the next pitch. McFarland ranged two steps to her left and snared the ball, robbing Silva of a likely double and forcing Fitzgerald to retreat to first. H. Jenkins retired the next two batters easily, keeping her shutout bid alive.
Then in the seventh, with a Herd runner on due to a walk, Elk Grove shortstop Katelyn Maciel smacked another line drive toward center. McFarland got a jump on the ball and – as she had in the sixth and against River Valley in the second-round game – laid out to field the drive for another "web gem."
St. Francis' outfield defense also paid off in the third when Silva sent a deep drive to right with a strong breeze as a tailwind. Senior right fielder Haley Kim turned her back toward the plate and hauled in the fly ball, just one step from the warning track.
The Troubadours now head to the CIF-SJS title game for their first championship final since 1996. The program won its only section crown 10 years later, defeating Cordova by a 3-2 final. The game will take place at Sacramento City College at a time to be announced later in the week. Tuesday's win also secures a berth in the CIF Northern California Regional, an eight-team tournament that runs on May 31, June 2 and June 4.
