Softball Recap: Elk Grove Comes Up Short

The scorekeeper got an easy start on Friday as neither Elk Grove nor Pleasant Grove made it on the board until the sixth inning. The Thundering Herd fell just short of the Eagles by a score of 2-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Thundering Herd have suffered since February 25th.

Rachel Williams spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on four hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.

On the hitting side, Elk Grove saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ryann Wolfe, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base.

This is the second loss in a row for Elk Grove and nudges their season record down to 10-8. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 7 runs in those games. As for Pleasant Grove, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 7-5.

Elk Grove and Pleasant Grove should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps California Rankings. The Thundering Herd will take on Cosumnes Oaks at 4:00 p.m. on Monday with a big rank advantage (100 vs. 259). Meanwhile, Pleasant Grove (ranked 102nd) will meet St. Francis (ranked 395th) at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.