Jesuit's 7-run first inning buries Del Oro

All eyes in the Sierra Foothill League baseball championship race were on Loomis on Thursday afternoon as Del Oro hosted Jesuit in a battle for first place. The Golden Eagles went into the game having won seven in a row and eight of nine. A Del Oro victory would have completed a series sweep and created a tie atop the league standings, but Jesuit used a seven-run first inning to power to a 12-5 win and extend its cushion heading into the final week of league play. The Marauders sent 12 hitters to the plate in the opening frame, piling up six hits while taking advantage of two Del Oro errors. Chase Tanner got the scoring started with an RBI single, Jonah Glover followed with a two-run knock, and Luke Garcia and Stevie Hughes delivered run-scoring doubles as Jesuit quickly built a 7-0 lead. Del Oro responded with three runs to cut into the deficit. Two runs scored on wild pitches before Crosby Pilgrim lifted a sacrifice fly. Jesuit added on from there. A sacrifice fly by Garcia in the second pushed the lead to 8-3, and the Marauders broke it open in the fourth. Parker Lipp launched a two-run home run to right as part of a three-run inning, then added another solo shot in the fifth. The junior finished 3 for 4 with four runs scored and two RBIs. Hughes had two doubles and three RBIs, while Garcia also had two doubles and drove in two runs. Tanner had three hits as Jesuit totaled 14 and did not commit an error. Del Oro, meanwhile, struggled to generate sustained offense despite working six walks. The Golden Eagles were limited to six hits but got a strong day from Rusty Ducharme, who went 3 for 4 and scored twice. Pilgrim drove in two runs, and Charger Allen reached base three times and stole two bases. Lipp settled in after giving up three runs in the first. The junior southpaw pitched five innings and allowed four hits while striking out six and walking three. Vincent Moralez and Alex Quigley combined to throw the final two innings. After the rough first inning, Del Oro's pitching staff settled in for a stretch. Henry Sender delivered 2⅔ scoreless innings in relief. Del Oro threatened again in the seventh, scoring twice on an RBI single by Pilgrim and an RBI groundout by Allen, but the rally fell short. Jesuit (15-10 overall, 11-4 SFL) split the two-game series with Del Oro and will take on Granite Bay (14-8, 9-4) next week in a series that will determine the league championship. Del Oro (13-9-1, 9-6) can boost its playoff position with a series victory next week against Folsom. The Golden Eagles are currently the No. 7 ranked team in Division II.