TRACY, Calif. – Junior Jocelyn Villaflor launched a three-run homer to highlight a 10-0 semifinal win over Pitman, then freshman Chloe Hoertsch hit 4-for-4 against Davis, but an RBI hit in the bottom of the eighth felled St. Francis in the Platinum bracket final of the NorCal Leadoff Classic girls' fastpitch tournament at Legacy Fields Saturday.
The Troubadours move to 9-8 for the season.
Oddly, this marks the third straight year that the Blue Devils have beaten St. Francis in a walk-off play in the eighth. Davis stunned the Troubies in eight innings on April 3, 2024 for its first series win in almost seven years, then junior catcher Sofia Lester launched a game-winning solo shot a year and a day later on April 4, 2025. A year and a week hence, junior Addie Sinclair delivered an RBI single with runners on the corners in the bottom.
Lester, who also singled in the game-winning rally in the 2024 comeback, came through with a two-run double to tie game at 6-6 in the 2026 edition.
St. Francis stormed to a 5-1 lead in the second inning against DSHS, with Olivia Meisner's two-run double and Elizabeth Bettar's two-run triple inflicting the bulk of the damage. Marissa Jensen and Reese Lewis had each doubled early to erase the 1-0 deficit from the first.
Hoertsch, Alexis McFarland and Bettar each collected hits to add another run in the fourth, extending the margin to 6-1. Davis got one back in the sixth to cut the deficit to four, before a four-run seventh forced the extra frames. Lily Lingbloom pounded out an RBI triple before Lester's heroics tied the contest.
Hoertsch, who singled and scored in SF's big second frame, also had hits in the fifth and eighth but was stranded on the bases when lead runners were gunned down in attempts for an extra base. In the eighth, Jensen was the automatic runner on second, but got frozen to the keystone on two short fly outs. Hoertsch laced a line driver to right, only for Sophia Bassett to fire home. Lester fielded the throw on a short hop, then landed the swipe tag on a sliding Jensen to hold off the run.
St. Francis reached Saturday's title game after a 10-0 shutout of Pitman. The Troubies carved out a 6-0 lead in the top of the first, with Villaflor's three-run bomb opening up the scoring. Two dropped third strikes and an error opened the door for three more runs, two coming from McFarland's bases-loaded rip through the middle.
Jensen made it 7-0 when her chopper down the line resulted in three bags, then the errant throw to the infield allowed the San Marcos commit to advance another 60 feet. Pryor had a triple of her own in the fourth, blasting a drive to the right-center gap to bring in Gabriella Santiago, then came home on Jaeya Leavitt's hit just three pitches later. Isabella Barge poked an RBI hit in the fifth for the 10th run, marking the third straight SF win with double-digit scoring.
Sophomore Kaili Heeb picked up the complete-game shutout against the Pride, allowing just three hits and no walks with six punchouts in 5.0 innings complete.
St. Francis defeated Ceres, 14-4, and Argonaut, 14-1, during Friday's first and second rounds. Meanwhile, Davis blanked Orestimba by a 9-0 final before Lingbloom's 3-for-4 game boosted the Blue Devils to a 10-9 win over Patterson in Friday's action. Lingbloom followed with a 2-for-5, three-RBI game to lead Davis past Kimball, 6-1, to advance to the title game against the Troubies.
Oddly, the Troubadours return to action on Monday for a Sierra Foothill League matchup against Davis. First pitch is 4 p.m. at Schuster Field.
