SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Junior Jada Kanemasu pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, pitching out of a tight situation in the sixth inning and closed out the seventh as St. Francis posted an 8-7 win over Ponderosa in their home opener Thursday.

“It felt really good,” said Kanemasu. “I was on the bench most of the game and was waiting for my turn to go on the mound. I was ready for it. When I was warming up, I hoping I was going in there. I was not really nervous. I just tried to take it one batter at a time and the team was really happy for me.”

St. Francis led 2-1 after a two-run third inning and added a third run in the fourth after Ponderosa had tied it in the top of the inning. The Bruins added three in the fifth knocking out starter Emily Ainsley but the Troubadours bounced back with five in the fifth.

Shelby Tevis, who went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI, knocked in a run in the fifth as did Hannah Willover.

Ponderosa rallied in the sixth with two runs and had runners on second and third when Kanemasu relieved Caitlin Caldwell  (1-1).

“Jada came in and shut the door in the sixth and we went 1-2-3 in the seventh inning,” said Head Coach Kevin Warren. “I could not ask for more.”

“We had several balls that were hit real hard but right at people,” said Warren. “We are a good hitting team and eventually those balls are going to fall in.”

St. Francis (1-1) hosts Del Oro on Saturday at 11 a.m.

“We lost our game Tuesday so it was really good to come out here for the seniors in the last first game here,” said Kanemasu. “It was really good to get a win for them.”

St. Francis: Tevis 2-for-2, 2 R, RBI. 

W – Caldwell (1-1). S – Kanemasu.