SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Freshman designated player Kinsley Imm hit 3-for-4 with a double and a grand slam, leading St. Francis to an 11-5 win over Inderkum on the Schuster Field varsity diamond, while all nine Troubadours managed at least one hit in an wild 15-12 victory on the JV field, as SF swept both games of its 2024 softball home opener Thursday afternoon.
The varsity Troubies improve to 2-1, while the jayvees enjoyed their first action of the season after two canceled dates earlier in the week.
Imm drove in five total runs in all, having added an RBI double in the fourth. Francesca Guerrera, Alex Garcia and Jaeya Leavitt each finished 2-for-4 at the plate, with Garcia driving in three. Guerrera, Garcia, Taylor Trafican and Kylee Garrett each joined Imm among the SF players to manage two-baggers.
Additionally, all nine Troubie varsity starters had at least one hit, with Claire Krotine, Sorina Pometta and Natalie Vigil joining in the offensive output. Sophomore Reese Lewis went five innings full in the circle, allowing five hits and just two earned runs; then senior Kiley Shea came in for the save. The future Pacific Tiger fanned four as part of her six-out finish.
St. Francis actually fell behind early, with Inderkum shortstop Mickey Garcia lacing a bases-loaded triple as part of a three-run second. But the Troubies put up five in the third take a 5-3 lead. Krotine singled and Garrett doubled to put two runners in scoring position for Garcia, who smacked a hit through the middle to bring in Krotine. Leavitt followed with a bunt single to load the bases. Then Imm, facing a 1-2 hole, slammed a drive just right of straightaway center to clear the bases.
The Troubies added another five in their fourth to extend the lead to seven. Guerrera plated Isabella Barge, who ran for Vigil's leadoff single. Garcia's double scored Krotine and Guerrera to make it 8-3. Leavitt grounded out but drove in Garrett for the ninth St. Francis run, then Imm launched the first pitch to center for an RBI double that brought Garcia around for the 10th run.
Inderkum got two runs back in the top of the fifth, getting some aid from an error and a third-strike wild pitch, but Lewis coaxed a ground ball to Guerrera to end the rally. Shea relieved Lewis in the sixth, then promptly retired six straight Tigers in the form of four strikeouts plus pop-ups to Krotine (in center) and Barge (at first).
Meanwhile, the Troubies and Tigers combined for 30 hits and 27 runs before the game was halted due to the automatic time limit in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore center fielder Marissa Jensen and freshman first baseman Jocelyn Villaflor each went 3-for-3, while third baseman Emma Fox hit 2-for-3. Jensen also poked two doubles en route to five RBIs, Villaflor doubled and scored four runs, and Fox drove in another four from the cleanup spot in the order.
Ariella Alcantar, Julia Nielsen, Gianna Barnes, Lilian Desmond, Addison Hutchcraft and Haydyn Haecker each had one hit apiece. Haecker started in the pitching circle but ran into trouble in the second. Instead, Alcantar surrendered her shortstop spot to take over the rubber, then fired 3.1 innings in the relief win.
In all, St. Francis took a 4-0 lead after the first, fell behind by an 11-4 margin at the midpoint of the second, then scored four runs in each of the second and third to claim a 12-11 edge. The Tigers hit four straight singles to tie the game at 12-12 in the top of the fifth but ran themselves into the third out. This put the Troubies at the plate with the game clock running out. Nielsen walked on four straight balls, went to second on a Villaflor hit, stole third, then scored the go-ahead run on an error. Jensen followed with an RBI hit to bring in Villaflor, then Jensen came in on a passed ball during Desmond's game-ending walk.
Thursday's action represents a rare home date in March for the Troubie varsity and JV squads. Varsity does not return to Schuster Field until the April 1 Delta League visit from Elk Grove. The jayvees host Del Campo on March 19 for their only other home game during the month.
Both St. Francis teams continue non-league play with games at River City on Friday.
