SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Junior right fielder Claire Krotine hit 2-for-3 and came up with a game-saving web gem in the sixth inning while senior designated player Alex Garcia also finished 2-for-3 with her team's lone RBI, but St. Francis surrendered a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to fall by a 4-2 final to Vista Del Lago in non-league softball action at Schuster Field Monday.

The Troubadours drop their third straight game and fourth in the last five contests to slip to 13-7 for the year. The Eagles improve to 14-7 overall.

Meanwhile, the St. Francis junior varsity returned to action with a 4-2 win over Vista. Freshman shortstop Ariela Alcantar hit 3-for-4 and drove in a run. Freshman pitcher Haydyn Haecker went the distance in the circle, allowing eight hits and walking none in 7.0 innings complete, while supporting her own cause with a 2-for-2, two-run day at the plate.

The two varsity squads squared off to a 2-2 tie after two innings. Junior Lauren Audrey and sophomore Kamira Stephens hit solo shots in the first and second frames, respectively. The Troubies pushed across two in their first, with Krotine and Alexis McFarland opening with back-to-back hits. Krotine came around to score when Vista misplayed McFarland's hit, then two batters later, Garcia drove a liner up the middle to bring in McFarland.

St. Francis freshman Kinsley Imm, who struck out the side after the Stephens homer, was masterful through the sixth, allowing just one hit during that span. However, Eagle starter Charlize Cai settled down to fan five Troubies into the fifth, then reliever Annabella Hess came in after Krotine's second hit. She ended up retiring seven straight to finish the game.

With the score still tied at 2-2 in the sixth, Cai ripped a long fly down the right field line for what appeared to be leadoff extra-base hit. Instead, Krotine ran a perfect route to the ball and came up with a sliding catch for the first out. This grab proved crucial, as Peyton Huber followed with a double to the left-center gap on the next at-bat. If Cai had reached, she easily would have scored the go-ahead run. Instead, Imm got Aubrey to pop up to SF third baseman Isabella Barge, then she struck out Riley Dossey to strand Huber at second.

In the end, Vista did manage to break the tie in the seventh. Stephens doubled to the warning track behind Krotine in right to lead off the inning, then later moved up 60 feet on a wild pitch. Hess hit a swinging bunt that bounded slowly back to Imm, whose quick toss back to catcher Natalie Vigil came up short to get Stephens. With courtesy runner Addison McCulloch on first, Harper Nikol followed with a sacrifice bunt. Unfortunately for St. Francis, the throw to get Nikol missed its target, allowing both Eagles to move into scoring position. Troubie freshman second baseman Jaeya Leavitt made a diving stop in the hole to retire Tayler Dray, but the previous miscue allowed Vista to double the lead to 4-2.

Hess retired SF 1-2-3 in the seventh with a pair of punchouts to finish her win.

Imm pitched her first complete game as a Troubie, allowing just four hits and two walks while matching her season high of seven strikeouts.

In the JV win, St. Francis posted three of its four runs in the fourth. With two outs and the bases loaded, sophomore Lilian Desmond hit a hard grounder to the opposite field, scoring Haecker and Julia Nielsen. Then Alcantar followed with an RBI single, bringing in Gianna Barnes. 
Alcantar previously came up with a big double play in the third. With one out, Vista shortstop Karis Gremeiner had worked her way from an 0-2 count to a walk, then promptly stole second. Third baseman Sami Smaglik followed with a soft liner up the middle. Alcantar ran down the drive, which sent her in the direction of the bag at second. She then easily doubled up Gremeiner, who had almost no chance to retouch.

Gremeiner later found herself caught in a second Troubie double play in the sixth. After Smaglik put Vista on the board with an RBI hit to left, Alayna Piexoto lined out to SF third baseman Emma Fox. Similarly, Fox had a short play to the bag to double up a retreating Gremeiner.

St. Francis returns to Delta League action on Wednesday for a home doubleheader with Davis. Both games take place at 4 p.m.