St. Helena softball squad gunning for a fourth straight league championship in 2026
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ST. HELENA >> Whether or not St. Helena is the team to beat again this year as a new North Central League I softball race opens, the Saints certainly remain one of the best small-school squads around, and they showed it Thursday with a 12-2, five-inning victory over the Lower Lake Trojans at St. Helena.
“They’re not the St. Helena team they’ve been, but they’re still really good,” Lower Lake head coach Julie Jackson said.
Lower Lake (0-1 league, 1-4 overall) scored single runs in the first two innings – on a Leanna Ortega RBI groundout in the top of the first and a Kerrington Snyder RBI double in the top of the second – to open up a 2-1 lead. It was all St. Helena after that.
After pushing ahead 3-2 with two runs in the bottom of the second, the Saints batted around during an eight-run third inning to go up 11-2. They scored their final run in the fifth, at which point the game was stopped because of the 10-run mercy rule.
Winning pitcher Ada Blanton went the distance, allowing only two hits while striking out five and walking one. Losing pitcher Crystal Pepper gave up seven hits, struck out one and walked four.
“Just the little things we weren’t doing added up,” Jackson said. “Our focus needs to stay on what we’re doing.”
While a couple of calls didn’t go the way the Trojans wanted, Jackson said it’s important for the Trojans to retain their cool and fight through adversity, not give in to it.
“They didn’t decide the game,” Jackson said of a couple of close calls.
Eden Sparks had the other Lower Lake hit in the league opener for both teams.
Unseasonably warm weather combined with playing on St. Helena’s artificial turf field had the Trojans feeling the heat against the three-time defending league champs, figuratively and literally.
“It was so hot we had a phone and iPod overheat on the bench,” Jackson said. “The heat was a concern.”
Sparks’ play at shortstop was among the bright spots for the Trojans, according to Jackson.
“She made some really good plays,” Jackson said of the freshman. “She’s just a really, really good softball player.”
Lower Lake returns to action Tuesday at home against Kelseyville at 4 p.m.
