Rocklin blasts Oak Ridge in crucial SFL tilt

Wednesday's softball clash between regional powers Rocklin and Oak Ridge served as a pivotal matchup in the early landscape of the Sierra Foothill League, and it was the Thunder that made a statement. Behind a dominant outing from Payton Prior and an offensive surge in the middle innings, the Thunder pulled away for a 9-1 win over the Trojans for their third consecutive victory. Rocklin (9-2 overall, 4-1 SFL) opened the scoring in the second inning when freshman Brooklyn Lonteen ripped a two-RBI double. The Thunder added four in the fourth inning, blowing the game wide open. The bats stayed hot, as Rocklin pushed three more across in the fifth inning to put their stamp on the game. Oak Ridge (6-4, 1-3) battled back in the sixth, breaking the shutout with an RBI groundout by Gemma Almont, but Prior made sure there would be no path to a miraculous comeback for the Trojans. The junior right-hander controlled the game from the circle, allowing just two hits across seven innings while striking out nine. Oak Ridge (6-4) never found a rhythm, managing just three runners in scoring position. Offensively, Rocklin showcased its depth, with six players recording hits and four finishing with multiple-hit games. Cat Alston set the tone at the top of the lineup, going 3 for 4 with two RBIs, while Addie Titlow delivered one of the biggest swings of the day with a two-run double as part of her three-RBI performance. Lonteen added two RBIs, and Maddie Williams contributed two hits as the Thunder tallied 11 total. Almont and Camdyn Glaser had Oak Ridge's hits. The Thunder will look to continue their hot streak Friday when they visit Granite Bay, while Oak Ridge will try to snap its four-game skid at Davis.