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Pioneer blanks St. Francis in regular-season softball finale

Pioneer blanks St. Francis in regular-season softball finale

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior second baseman Francesca Guerrera hit 3-for-3 with a double but to rest of her team  finished 2-for-21 at the plate as St. Francis fell to Pioneer, 6-0, in non-league prep softball action at Schuster Field Friday afternoon.

The Troubadours end their regular season with a 16-9 record. The Patriots improve to 20-5 overall. Friday's contest was the rescheduling of a rained-out game from April 13.

Guerrera, normally the team's primary shortstop, doubled to lead off the second inning, then singled in each of the fourth and seventh frames. She attempted to put the Troubies on the board in the bottom of the seventh when freshman Kinsley Imm drilled a hit to right center. However, Pioneer right fielder Sophia O'Quelly fired to shortstop Marisa Bryson, who then relayed to catcher Ashley Gruben. The 9-6-3 play wrapped up the shutout for Patriot junior Jia Beebe.

Still, Guerrera's overall day at the plate extended her run of consecutive hits to seven at-bats. She went 4-for-4 in the Troubies' win at Sheldon on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Pioneer put up all of its runs in five home runs, including three off the bat of the sophomore Bryson. She launched a long fly to right to lead off the fourth, which right fielder Claire Krotine nearly snagged over the fence. Bryson added another with one out in the fifth, then launched her third of the game and 11th of the season with one out in the seventh. Junior Sofia Hernandez immedately followed Bryson's long ball in the fourth with a solo blast of her own. Then after Caitlin Mayfield dropped a single to left, Gruben went deep for a two-run homer to complete a four-run inning.

Sophomore center fielder Alexis McFarland accounted for the remaining Troubadour hit. Imm also fired 2.2 innings of relief, striking out three and walking one. The third Bryson homer was arguably the only blemish in an otherwise strong appearance. Imm inherited a runner on second in the fifth, then fanned Mayfield and Gruben to end the threat.

Both St. Francis and Pioneer are headed to the Sac-Joaquin Section postseason, the pairings for which were announced earlier in the day. The Troubies earned a No. 4 seed and will host Rodriguez on Tuesday for a 4 p.m. start.