Del Oro softball notches 5th straight win

As the prep softball regular season reaches the halfway point, the Sierra Foothill League is starting to take shape and three teams are pulling ahead of the pack. Whitney is the lone unbeaten team in the league, but Del Oro and Rocklin are close behind and don't look to be slowing down. Del Oro continued its hot streak and captured sole possession of second place Friday by blanking Folsom 5-0 to extend its winning streak to five and record its second straight shutout. After four scoreless innings, Del Oro broke through in the bottom of the fifth when Emma Johnson belted a two-run homer. The Golden Eagles kept the momentum going by rattling off three more hits to push more runs across the plate. Macey Davis followed the long shot with a double and Avyn Brower drove her home with another double. Nancy Barberio singled Brower to third and she scored on an RBI groundout by Presley Brening to finish the four-run frame. Brower picked up another RBI with a single in the fifth inning. The offense was balanced throughout the lineup. Johnson went 3 for 3 and scored two runs. Brower, Caelyn Campos and Barberio each collected two hits as Del Oro piled up 11 hits. The Golden Eagles were just as sharp in the circle. Mikayla Finn pitched six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out seven to earn the win. Freshman Katharine Popovski handled the seventh, striking out two. With five straight wins and the pitching staff in rhythm, the Golden Eagles (8-3, 6-1 SFL) appear to be building momentum at the right time. Del Oro travels to Anaheim this week to play in the Michelle Carew Classic. The tournament annually draws many of the nation's top programs and this year includes Norco, Orange Lutheran and Mater Dei Catholic. Del Oro opens the tournament Wednesday against Pomona-Ganesha.