Rocklin locks up SFL title

The Rocklin High School baseball team secured its second consecutive Sierra Foothill League championship, claiming the throne of the region's top league. The Thunder defeated Oak Ridge 9-6 Tuesday afternoon to cap a 15-2 league campaign and wrap up a second straight season without dropping an SFL series. After dropping the first game in the series 2-1 on Monday in El Dorado Hills, the Thunder wasted no time jumping out to an early 4-1 lead after two innings. The Trojans would not go quietly, however, as they scored five runs in the next two innings to take a 6-5 lead into the fifth. Just as Rocklin has done all year, it woke its bats up at the right time. The Thunder swung the momentum in their favor with a four-run fifth inning to take control. Mason Paranick led the way with four RBIs, while Colby Pudge and Joey Lorenzini each collected two. Tyler Ward drove a run home as well. Pudge, Lorenzini, Nick Coleman and Dylan Nusz each had two hits. Andrew Hancock earned the win in relief, throwing 1⅓ innings and striking out two while surrendering two runs, one earned. The bullpen duo of Kai Lorenzo and Merrick Thomas combined to shut out the Trojans in the final two innings and each recorded a strikeout. Lorenzo earned a save and held Oak Ridge without a hit in the seventh. Rocklin (22-5, 15-2) will now wait for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoff pairings to be announced Saturday. Because the Thunder won a D-I league, they will be in the D-I bracket despite being a D-II school in terms of enrollment. Rocklin is currently the top-ranked team in the section and is top 100 in the nation and top 10 in the state.