ROCKLIN, Calif. – Sophomore right-hander Kaili Heeb allowed just three hits and no walks with no earned runs against while Alexis McFarland led offensively with two hits and a stolen base, but a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second inning stood up as the only run as St. Francis fell to Rocklin, 1-0, in Sierra Foothill League girls' softball action Wednesday evening.

The Troubadours slip to 9-10 for the year, and start the second half of the league slate at 3-5. The Thunder, ranked fourth in the Sac-Joaquin Section by MaxPreps, improves to 13-3 overall with a 5-2 SFL mark.

Wednesday marked the third straight game in which St. Francis outhit its opponent but lost the game. Heeb, Elizabeth Bettar, Marissa Jensen and Isabella Barge also pounded out singles, but Thunder junior righty Payton Prior continually escaped with Troubie runners stranded.

Bettar and Heeb had back-to-back hits in the SF first, only for Prior to fan the next two batters. Then in the sixth, St. Francis had a runner in scoring position for just the second time: Jensen reached on an error, then Barge moved her up 60 feet with a rip to center. Julia Nielsen later walked to load the bases, only for Prior to record another punchout – one of her 13 total in the contest.

Prior also kicked off the lone scoring inning when her flare on an 0-2 pitch eluded Barge for a leadoff single. Second baseman Amanda Wetteland attempted to bunt courtesy runner Kendal Linehan to second, but an error allowed Wetteland to reach and Linehan to advance to third. That's when senior catcher Maddie Williams lifted a fly to McFarland, deep enough to plate Linehan for the go-ahead. Heeb got Carissa Wilson swinging for two outs, then SF right fielder Lillyana Perkins chased down a fly ball to end the inning.

Heeb threw just 66 pitches with 44 for strikes in her six innings in the circle, compared to Prior's 117 pitches and 84 strikes – mostly due to the baker's dozen in strikeouts.

St. Francis returns home on Friday to host Folsom for a 4:30 SFL game.