FOLSOM, Calif. – A bloop single in the bottom of the eighth spoiled an upset bit and completed a huge comeback run as St. Francis saw what began as a 6-0 lead fade to a 7-6 loss in extra innings during the varsity end of a non-league softball doubleheader at Vista Del Lago Wednesday.
The Troubadours drop to 11-12 for the year. The Eagles, ranked sixth in the Sac-Joaquin Section by MaxPreps, improves to 22-2 overall.
Left fielder Kylee Garrett hit a perfeect 4-for-4 while right fielder Claire Krotine went 2-for-5 with an RBI. St. Francis piled up all six of its runs in a two-out rally in the fourth: Garrett, Jazzy Basquez, Reese Lewis, Isabella Vela, Francesca Guerrera, Krotine, Alex Garcia and Hailey Strange rapped out eight consecutive singles before Vista pitcher Olivia Manchester could escape. The Troubies led 6-0 in the middle of the fourth.
However, Vista answered with two in the bottom of the fourth, then forced extra innings with four runs in the seventh. Shortstop Charlize Cai capped a run of four straight Eagle hits to start the inning, with Tayler Dray's RBI hit to right bringing home the equalizer.
Manchester hit Reese Lewis to leadoff the inning but retired three straight to continue holding SF. Then in the bottom half of that eighth, Gianna Davis laced a double to right to put the winning run in scoring position. She moved up on a wild pitch before Manchester dropped a flare into right field for the walk-off hit.
Meanwhile on the JV diamond, center fielder Marissa Jensen hit 4-for5 with a two-run homer and four total RBIs, while first baseman Addison Hutchcraft and shortstop Deanne Richardson each finished 3-for-4 at the plate, leading the Troubadours to a 19-10 win over the Eagles.
All nine Troubie starters had at least one hit in the win. Emma Fox and Jaeya Leavitt each had two, with Fox delivering a two-run double as part of a nine-run second inning. Gianna Palermo, Julia Nielsen, Layla Werner and Rylee Coauette managed one hit apiece.
Surprisingly, Fox's two-bagger was the only extra-base hit in that massive Troubie second, which flipped a 3-1 deficit to a 10-3 lead. Jensen's homer came in the sixth, two pitches after hit a two-out double to left. The bomb extended St. Francis' lead to 15-9, then four more runs in the seventh brought the total to 19. Richardson's second double of the game ended a run of five straight hits for the Troubies in that final frame.
The two St. Francis squads return to Delta League action on Friday with a home doubleheader against Cosumnes Oaks. First pitch is 4 p.m.
