It's never easy being on top.

The defending Sac Joaquin Section Division I and II softball champions were both eliminated in dramatic fashion during the early morning games Saturday in the second round of the playoffs at Sacramento Softball Complex.

Woodcreek, the No. 4 ranked team by The Bee, lost to Enochs of Modesto on a controversial call in the sixth inning.

A routine pop up to second base turned into a 20-minute conversation between coaches, umpires and the tournament official.

Jordan Barber was on second base for the Eagles when the ball sailed into right field. An errant throw to third pulled Woodcreek third basemen Christal Vierra off the bag.

The umpire called interference after Barber was thrown out at home "by 40 feet" according to Woodcreek coach Art Banks.

Enochs was awarded the run, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Tournament director Don Barney said the play was dead once Vierra would not allow Barber to get up right away after sliding in third base, nullifying the tag out at home.

Banks disagrees.

"I think it was the wrong call," Banks said. "They called an interference when there wasn't. And to award the run is ridiculous."

Woodcreek was the defending D-II section champions but, as a member of the Sierra Foothill League, the Timberwolves were bumped into D-I this season.

The Timberwolves got a runner on in the bottom of the seventh inning, but couldn't score.

"We didn't score and that was our fault," Banks said. "We didn't take care of our business. But you hate to have an umpire dictate the game. It's just one of those things, it happens with human beings. We make mistakes, but this was a big one. But, it happens."

Two time defending D-I champions, Sheldon, were also ousted from the playoffs in the morning game.

No. 12 ranked Sheldon tied the game up at 3-3 with two runs in the top of the seventh inning that began with an RBI single by freshman Dani Fines.

The two teams traded zeros in the box score until Fines scored on a single by Anessa Kaylor to take a 4-3 lead into the top of the 12th with the international playoff rule enforced. After 10 innings, the last batter out in the previous inning begins the next frame on second base.

West scored two runs in the bottom of the 12th to win.

More Field No. 2 Drama - Both of the Woodcreek and Sheldon games were played on Field 2 of the four field complex.

In the final afternoon game on Field 2, Benicia defeated No. 6 Christian Brothers 2-1 in eight innings.

Christian Brothers ace Haley Snyder pitched a complete game gem for the Falcons. The junior struck out 11 and gave up just five hits and two runs in the loss.

Rams Rollin' - Senoir Ali Aguilar scored the winning run for Casa Roble in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Vanden 7-6 in the D-II bracket.

No. 2 Casa Roble scored five runs in the fourth inning to take a 6-4 lead.

Vanden scored two runs in the top of the seventh to tie to game up before the celebration started for the Rams.

Aguilar had a first inning home run for the Rams (21-5) and walked to lead off the sevent. Casa Roble plays Benicia in the in the D-II semifinals at 6 p.m. on Monday.

Thunder Rollin' - Second year varsity head coach Marissa Hardy has used a heavy load of juniors this season thanks in part to her confidence in them as the junior varsity coach for the Thunder two seasons ago.

No. 1 ranked Rocklin withheld a bases loaded, one-out rally by West in the bottom of the seventh inning to advance with a 5-3 win in the afternoon game. Rocklin defeated Buhach Colony 6-1 in the morning game.

"I really thought all along that this team should be at the top, at least in the top three," Hardy said. "I think it starts with seniors. But the juniors have been huge contributors. They bought into me at the JV level, but now they are bringing to the varsity level."

Rocklin has a 10-game winning streak thanks large part to solid pitching from junior Maddie Wuelfing and great hitting from fellow juniors Sam Moffat an, Delanie Chrismas and Cali Lewis.

Rocklin will face No. 7 Elk Grove on Monday.

It marked the first time that an Elk Grove Unified School District team won a girls soccer title since the playoffs started in 1981. The Wildcats also are the first area team other than Davis or St. Francis to win a D-I title since Casa Roble in 1997.

As expected from two teams that split regular-season matches and tied for the Delta Valley Conference, the match was a fast and physical back-and-forth battle.

Though both had a handful of good scoring opportunities, Davis (20-5-1) and Franklin (17-3-0) played scoreless through two 40-minute regulation periods and two 10-minute overtimes.

Jesuit also beat Xavier of New York City 39-20 in Friday's semifinals and Herriman of Utah 18-17 in Thursday's quarterfinals.

It is Jesuit's seventh national rugby title.

PHOTO: Jesuit's rugby team celebrates their victory. Special to The Sacramento Bee/Martha Gates

Behind goals from Sami Donovan and JV call-up Chelsea Allen, the Broncos defeated Ponderosa 2-1 in the Division II championship game at Cosumnes Oaks High School.

It was Bella Vista's first section girls title since winning three D-I titles in a row from 1986 to 1988. Three other times Bella Vista lost in a section title game, the last in 2007 to Rio Americano in D-III.

"We've been on the door for the last several years," Wheeler said. "How'd we open the door? Teamwork. We've been a real good passing team, we peaked at the right time and it was our time."

The last three years, Bella Vista lost in the semifinals, including a penalty kick loss to Granite Bay in 2011.

"They listened and bought into the system we have, and they play really good soccer," Contreras said. "They kind of mirrored the boys' season."

The Bella Vista boys, coached by Matt and Zach Contreras, won their second consecutive D-II title last fall. The boys were at Cosumnes Oaks Saturday rooting on their classmates.

Senior midfielders Julia Platter and Lisa Elledge and defender Madeleine Dyckes are the anchors.

The win didn't come easy. Bella Vista barely missed wide on a handful of attempts and Ponderosa had three corner kicks in the final few minutes. Freshman goalie Shannon Fuchs punched one away.

Ponderosa suffered a big loss 20 seconds into the match when captain Corine Tank suffered an apparent broken arm.

It was Rio Americano's third consecutive section title and fifth in the last seven years, all in D-III. The Raiders (18-0-2) lost in overtime, both to Benicia (20-3-1), in the 2008 and 2010 finals.

"The chemistry on and off the field is amazing - all 23 of them, it's not a small squad," said Rio Americano coach Jenn Smiley, a former Raiders standout. "They're a lot of fun, hard working and driven. And you see it on the field."

The Raiders are ranked No. 4 nationally in the National Soccer Coaches Association of American spring rankings.

Bee Correspondent

Enochs of Modesto eliminated Woodcreek 1-0 on an interference call in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I softball playoffs this morning at the Sacramento Softball Complex.

Enochs sophomore Jordan Barber was tagged out by Woodcreek catcher Frankie Orlando at home plate in the bottom of the sixth inning. But the umpire ruled that third baseman Christal Vierra interfered with Barber before she reached home, and Enochs was awarded the run.

Tournament director Don Barney said the play was dead once Vierra would not allow ith Barber to get up right away after sliding in third base, nullifying the tag out at home.

Woodcreek was the defending D-II section champions but, as a member of the Sierra Foothill League, the Timberwolves were bumped into D-I this season.

Enochs now moves into the double-elimination portion of the tournament and will play unbeaten Vintage of Napa at 2 p.m.

Follow Trevor Horn on Twitter @trevhorn

It was Colfax's first girls section soccer title, and the Falcons (14-5-4) avenged their two one-goal losses to the Hillgals (12-10-1) in the Pioneer Valley League this season.

Both finished as league co-champions with 7-2-1 records.

Woodland's Kelsey Goodner struck out 11 and didn't allow a hit against Bear River and still lost 2-1.

Bear River's Alix Alfke scored the winning run in the fifth inning on a two-base throwing error after she walked and was sacrificed to second by Alex Ecke.

Goodner, however, walked six.

Cal-bound Taylor Cotton of Whitney struck out 12 and allowed three hits. But she also was on the losing end of a 1-0, eight-inning decision to Pioneer, thanks to Gabriela Davis' two-out, walk-off double over the center fielder's head.

But there were happy winners too.

Angehleyna Wheat had a triple and two doubles, and Brooke Lindstrom added three singles to back the pitching of Stacy. She struck out five.

Kaone Hunter struck out nine and allowed three hits in Antelope's 8-2 win over Placer.

Alabama verbal commit Ashleigh Hughes had a triple, double and single to back Hunter's effort.

While overshadowed somewhat by Goodner and Cotton, respectively, Bear River freshman Nerissa Long and Pioneer sophomore Angelica Dark also had sterling games.

Long limited Woodland to two hits and struck out 13, while Dark scattered seven hits and did not walk a batter. She was backed by several defensive gems.

That included right fielder Amaray Bair's over-the-head stab of a liner by the speedy Cotton in the seventh inning that had triple written all over it.

Davis' winning hit came after Cotton hit Erin Lipelt -- the senior's third hit batter of the game -- and she stole second. Davis also had several stellar defensive plays at first base.

Pioneer will play Antelope, and Bear River will take on Cordova, both at 3 p.m. Saturday, as the playoffs continue at the Sacramento Softball Complex.

In Division II, Casa Roble will play Vanden, and Christian Brothers will face Benicia in 1 p.m.games.

Casa Roble advanced with a 9-2 win over Bethel of Vallejo as Kaitlyn Garcia tossed a two-hitter. Sisters Ali and Sami Aguilar combined for four hits, and catcher Mya Reynolds had two doubles.

Haley Snyder struck out nine, allowed one hit and homered in Christian Brothers' 16-0, five-inning win over McClatchy. Aaliyah Shimosaka-Marquez had a three-run homer and and Kira McKechnie tripled, singled and drove in three runs.

Mallory Barnard had a double, single and three RBIs to lead Benicia to a 9-4 win over Del Campo, last year's D-II section runners-up, while Vanden topped Rosemont 10-6.

The Franklin Wildcats.

Days after rolling Rodriguez in Fairfield in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoff opener 13-0, Franklin stunned the hottest team in the field, beating Oak Ridge 4-1 at Sacramento City College on Wednesday night to snap the Trojans' 12-game winning streak.

Connor Adams tossed a complete-game gem, scattering five hits through six innings and escaping a last-inning jam for Franklin. Hank LoForte had three hits and Tyler Blake crushed a home run for the Wildcats, who placed third in the Delta Valley Conference a year ago and roared to the D-I North finals and won it. Franklin placed third again in the DVC this season behind Bee No. 1 Davis and No. 2 Elk Grove and playing the role of destroyer again.

Franklin is primed for another run, and look who it draws on Saturday at noon at Sac City: Elk Grove.

"That's our MO - get into the playoffs," said Blake, the program's all-time home run leader. He has hit a homer in four consecutive games. "I'm seeing the ball really well right now...To beat a team as good as Oak Ridge is an honor. Never doubted our team."
Franklin (16-13) was Bee ranked most of the season until falling out down the stretch. Wildcats coach Bryan Kilby said his bunch wasn't a ranked-worthy club a bit ago, but that was then. This is now - new life.

"This is a great group," said Kilby, The Bee's Coach of the Year last season. "Our guys responded. I love to win and I'm as competitive as anyone, but the regular season isn't the most important thing. This is what counts."

Adams said Franklin understands, "a sense of urgency this time of year, and it's sparked us."

Adams is one of those feel-good student athletes who balances his hectic schedule in maximizing his senior year. He was a team captain and center for the football team that had a school-record campaign, and he pitches and competes in baseball with a football mentality. He fears nothing.

Adams kept hitting the outside corner against Oak Ridge in keeping a prolific team off balance. Oak Ridge won the Delta River League by beating Pleasant Grove twice and Jesuit once. The Trojans were led by team leader and shortstop star Alec de Watteville this season. Ace Austin Root took the loss, though he struck out seven. He's only a junior. Oak Ridge turned a 1-2-3-2 triple play in the top of the seventh, but the feel-good moment ended when Adams recorded a groundout to end it.

Adams is a 4.1 student headed to BYU to study neuroscience. The grin on his face suggests he's not quite ready to end this season.

* Elk Grove 8, Woodcreek 5 - Rowdy Tellez had a two-run homer in the first inning, a soaring shot over the right-field fence, and he effectively won it in the top of the eighth inning with screaming RBI single to left to lift the Thundering Herd in extra innings.

Tellez homered off Tyler Milani in the first and touched hard-throwing Stephen Nogosek in his last at-bat in an entertaining showdown of Major League Baseball draft prospects heavy on power.

Nogosek hit 93 mph several times on radar guns aimed his way. He and Tellez embraced afterward and congratulated each other.

Nogosek could sign a pro contract after his likely draft selection next month, or he could attend Oregon on scholarship. Tellez could ink a pro deal or attend USC on scholarship, and face Nogosek in some Pacific-12 showdowns.

Nogosek is one of the greatest flame-throwers in regional history, and Tellez one of most entertaining home-run and RBI producers. Tellez has 168 career RBIs, second most in Northern California history.

A student of the game, Tellez said he could read Nogosek's pitches, that he "tipped them" with the way he shook his hand before delivery.

"He's the best arm in the area, no doubt, awesome," Tellez said of Nogosek. "I loved facing him. He plays the game the right way. Very respected player."

Aftrer Tellez made it 6-5, David Smith had a sacrifice fly for a 7-5 lead with Tellez scoring on an overthrow to make it 8-5. Nogosek struck out four in his 2.1 innings of relief. Tellez also walked twice and had three RBIs. Smith earned the win, getting a game-ending strikeout. Starting pitcher Mikey Wright struck out six for the Herd.

Veteran Elk Grove coach Jeff Carlson has won his share of championships and coached his share of prospects, including some that reached the big leagues, but he never tires of a good outing.

"Big time guys and performances," he said of a lot of players in general. "Rowdy had a great at-bat against Nogosek at the end, outstanding. The scouts see this, how guys like Rowdy are big competitors and how they're great teammates."

* Thursday's games: Vacaville plays No. 4 Pleasant Grove at 4 p.m. at Sac City, followed by top-ranked Davis against No. 5 Jesuit at 7 p.m.

Pleasant Grove is coming off two wins last week against Jesuit to defend a share of its Delta River League title, and Monday's win over Rocklin. Vacaville, winners of the Monticello Empire League, is led by ace Elway Santistevan (6-2). He eliminated Jesuit 3-2 in a playoff opener last season and battled Davis in a 2-1 setback in a loser's bracket finale.

Davis and Jesuit have faced each other before in the postseason and in recent seasons have met in nonleague rivalry games at Raley Field. The teams are coached by alums, Davis with Dan Ariola and Jesuit with Joe Potulny.
Davis will start ace Matt Trask and Jesuit will go with No. 2 arm Chris Loeb.

- Joe Davidson
- On Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD
- On Podcast: ESPN1320.net

Championships will be played on Saturday at Cosumnes Oaks High School in Elk Grove and Lincoln of Stockton.

We will update when the section releases sites and times. While unofficial, it would appear that the D-I through D-IV games will be at Cosumnes Oaks.

DIVISION I
Franklin-EG 1, St. Francis 0
Davis Sr. 1, Oak Ridge 0

DIVISION II
Bella Vista 3, St. Mary's 1
Ponderosa 1, Tracy 0

DIVISION III
Rio Americano 1, Oakdale 0
Benicia 3, El Camino 1

DIVISION IV
Colfax 2, East Union 1
Placer 2, Vista del Lago 0

DIVISION V
Liberty Ranch 3, Hilmar 1
Centra Catholic d. West Campus

DIVISION VI
Capital Christian 5, Millennium 0
Amador 9, Golden Sierra 0

DIVISION VII
Forest Lake Christian at Bradshaw Christian, not reported
Ripon Christian 4, Victory Christian 0

Franklin will play the winner of tonight's Davis/Oak Ridge game for the championship on Saturday at Cosumnes Oaks High School. The time is still to be determined.

It will mark Franklin's second consecutive appearance in the D-I final.

The Wildcats lost 2-1 to St. Mary's of Stockton last May in the D-I title game played in Stockton, though without Williams or sophomore defender Aleah Kelley. Both were in Germany playing in a club tournament.

The skilled and physical Williams' scored on a ball St. Francis was unable to clear in its goal area after a deflection.

"She hit a rocket," said Franklin coach Eliseo Lopez. "Lauren is very talented, very smart, very key."

Franklin's speedy senior forward Tatyana Garrett, a UC Irvine scholarship signee, misfired on a couple of breakaway attempts. Otherwise St. Francis dominated second half time of possession.

But the Troubadours couldn't slip one past Young, despite a couple of point-blank shots.

Franklin's back line of Kelley, Julia Altop, Sophie Spallas and Alex Grant also played well.

The victory marked the second season in a row that the Elk Grove district public school knocked out the parochial power in the semifinals. Last year Franklin (16-3) beat St. Francis (14-2-7) by a 2-1 score.

St. Francis' 12 titles is more than any other section school.

Franklin is trying to become the first area team other than Davis or St. Francis to win a D-I title since Casa Roble in 1997.

Franklin and Davis tied for first place with 9-1 records in the Delta Valley Conference after splitting matches.

The Blue Devils won the coin flip for the top seed. St. Francis, as Delta River League champions, got the No. 2 seed and what section officials hoped might lead to a big Saturday draw should both win out.

Since Casa Roble's victory in 1997, St. Francis has won eight section titles and Davis four. St. Mary's and Beyer of Modesto also each have won titles after the section unitied its playoff format in 2002 (south schools used to play in the winter).

"Those two teams wind up on the opposite side of the brackets for a reason," Lopez said.

But Lopez says Franklin draws pretty well, too. The Wildcats had as many fans lining the sidelines as the Troubadours.

"The support has been great," he said. "They're our 12th player."

Although he starts six sophomores, Lopez has two other players who will join Garrett in playing in the college ranks.

Outside midfielder Lauren Aldana will play for Southern Oregon and forward Kaylah Valdry for Texas Southern.

Franklin defeated No. 14 Lincoln of Stockton 7-2 and No. 6 Vintage of Napa 1-0 and St. Francis topped Napa 4-0 and McClatchy 2-0 en route to the semifinals.

Here's a short recap of games reported to The Bee:

DIVISION I
SHELDON 9, NAPA 7 in South Sacramento - The two-time defending D-I champion Huskies (14-12) held a 9-0 lead after six innings, then held off the Indians (17-11). Freshman shortstop Jordan Fines went four-for-four with a double and two RBIs and Anessa Kaylor had a solo home run, her seventh of the season, to lead Sheldon. Sheldon will play West of Tracy 11 a.m. Saturday at the Sacramento Softball Complex.

WOODCREEK 8, TOKAY 1 in Roseville - Jenna Curtan went three-for-four and Amanda Horbasch, Nicole Miller and Jasmine Dwerlkotte had two hits apiece as last year's D-II champion Timberwolves (20-8), now playing in D-I, won handily over the Tigers (17-9). Horbasch scattered five hits to earn the win. Woodcreek will play Enochs of Modesto 9 a.m. Saturday at the Sacramento Softball Complex.

VACAVILLE 3, ST. FRANCIS 2 in Vacaville - The Bulldogs scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to beat the Troubadours. Sophomore Danika Bailey went three-for-four and Alejandra Garcia had an RBI double for the Troubadours (16-9). Vacaville (12-11) will play Elk Grove noon on Saturday at the Sacramento Softball Complex.

DIVISION III
WHITNEY 6, LINCOLN 2 in Rocklin - Taylor Cotton struck out 12 and Tessa Harris went two for three with a triple and two RBIs as the two-time D-III section runner-up Wildcats (19-9) defeated the Fighting Zebras (11-14-2). Whitney will play 4 p.m. Friday at Tri-County Conference champion Pioneer.

In other games of note today, Lodi defeated Franklin of Elk Grove 11-3 in D-I and Bethel of Vallejo downed Sacramento 11-1 in D-II.

With a combination of speed and power, sure-handed defense and dominating pitching by sophomore Brooke Coyne, the Huskies led 9-0 with an inning to play.

Napa then strung together six hits and a couple of Sheldon errors to close to 9-7 before freshman shortstop Jordan Fines scooped up a grounder and beat, by an inch or so, the Napa runner to the second base bag for the final out.

Sheldon has nine underclass players on its 16-player roster.

"This game kind of summed up our whole season," said center fielder Erika Lane, the Huskies' lone senior.

Sheldon (14-12), the second seed from the Delta River League, entered the game against Napa (17-11) barely over .500.

"Youth can help you or hurt you," said Sheldon's Mary Jo Truesdale, a Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame coach with 611 wins. "We played Sheldon softball for six innings, then we lost our focus a little."

They almost lost a handful of players, too.

Coyne seemed on cruise control having retired 11 Indians in a row until Napa's Sara Weildraayer hit a smash single off her face with two out in the fifth inning.

Coyne got her glove up enough to prevent major damage to her mouth. Though clearly shaken, she retired the next four batters. But in the seventh another smash ricocheted off Coyne's right leg for a run-scoring hit. She stayed in the game.

Then, Lane and mighty mite second baseman Zamari Hinton - a wizard throughout the game with her glove - collided on a pop-up that fell between them in shallow center field. Though both went down, they, too, stayed in the game.

Fines went four-for-four with a double and two RBIs while junior first baseman Anessa Kaylor, hitting .500 with 37 RBIs, homered over the center field fence to ignite a five-run third.

Lane is a four-year varsity player who now calls teammates "my little sisters."
Last year Sheldon backed into the playoffs on the last day of the season and, like this year, had to win an outbracket game.

Sheldon outscored its six playoff opponents by a combined 75-9 and beat league rival Ponderosa 8-1 in the title game.

"Last year's playoff run was incredible," Lane said. "So we feel we have a lot to prove. My little sisters have some big shoes to fill."

The 6-foot-7 Ellis was a key three-year player and defensive force for the Titans, helping them to win back-to-back Sac-Joaquin Section Division II titles as well as a D-II runners-up finish his sophomore season.

A Bee All-Metro second team selection, Ellis averaged 12.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks before breaking his foot in the Titans' 70-63 D-II title win over Grant.

Isaiah's twin, Tyler, signed last month with the New Mexico State women's basketball team.