The St. Francis High School Softball team closed its historic season by placing third at the 2024 MSHSL Class AAA State Tournament. The Saints made the state tournament for the first time in 41 years and the third time in program history (1980 and 1983).
SFHS defeated second-seed Winona Senior High School 8-2 Friday to claim the third place trophy. Ahead 3-2 heading to the seventh inning the Saints totaled five runs on four this to boost their lead to 8-2. After allowing a lead-off hit, SFHS recorded a double play and then a ground out to secure the victory.
In the semifinal game Thursday, the Saints went to the wire with the top team in the AAA tournament, Cretin-Derham Hall, but fell by the score of 5-4. Down 3-0, a four-run fourth, which included a three-run homerun by pitcher Sydney Borchert, gave the Saints a 4-3 lead. A run in the top of the sixth and then again in the top of the seventh handed Cretin-Derham Hall a 5-4 lead, which proved to be enough to advance to the championship game.
Wednesday the fifth-seeded Saints started the tournament by defeating Rocori High School, the fourth seed, by the score of 6-2.
For the tournament, Borchert, a sophomore, pitched all 21 innings and allowed nine runs (seven earned) on 18 hits. She totaled 24 strikeouts and only walked one batter.
At the plate Borchert went 5-for-10 with six RBI, two runs scored and a walk. Alexa Skogquist went 4-for-8 at the plate with three runs scored and three walks. Kara Schwintek posted a 5-for-11 performance with four runs scored and an RBI. Emerson Markas scored a run in each game and added three hits, three RBI and walked twice.
The magical year for Saints Softball started in September with the 1980 softball team, the first to make state in program history, being enshrined into the St. Francis High School Hall of Fame. Later in the year, a scholarship was started to help recognize the impact former head coach Vern Gilbertson has had on Saints softball. And it all ends with third place finish at the state tournament.
Congratulations to all involved with the Fighting Saints Softball program!