Prep softball playoffs: Will C. Wood's magic runs out in SJS title game
SACRAMENTO – The Will C. Wood High School softball team came into Saturday's Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV championship game with nothing to lose, and they played like it.
The fifth-seeded Wildcats pushed second-seeded Central Catholic and remained within arm's reach until a fourth-inning grand slam powered the Raiders to an 8-3 victory at Cosumnes River College.
"As a coach, you visualize competing at the highest level and representing Wood," head coach Chris Ramirez said. "They refused to lose, they kept battling."
Ramirez said he believes this was the program's first SJS title game appearance.
"You always want to win, but you still have seniors going home with a lot of memories," Ramirez said. "They can say ‘we've gone to the section finals,' which hasn't happened before."
The journey to Sacramento certainly wasn't easy.
After dispatching No. 12 Oakmont in the first round, the Wildcats rallied to defeat No. 4 Rio Linda and upset top-seeded Pioneer in extra innings.
"I'm so beyond proud," said senior pitcher Maddie Farnham. "We started at the bottom to begin the season. We were all hurt, and we were able to make it here."
Farnham is one of just three seniors on a team that boasts five freshmen and three sophomores. Ramirez said the young group made tremendous strides throughout the season.
"Every game they played, they grew mentally and physically. I don't even consider them freshmen anymore," Ramirez said. "They know what it takes and they didn't flinch."
The Raiders jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after delivering RBI singles to left field in the second and third innings.
Wood appeared poised to answer in the third, putting two runners on with no outs, but Kylee Schaaf flied out, Sophie Rivera popped out and Abigail Sova was tagged out on the basepaths after losing track of the count.
"We were disappointed here and there, but we bounced back, we battled," Ramirez said. "As a coach, you can't complain about 110 percent effort."
It didn't help the Wildcats that Central Catholic's outfield looked like a no-fly zone.
Right fielder Stephanie Garcia and center fielder Carsyn Lomeli-Garcia refused to let anything drop, combining for all three outs in the top of the fourth. Garcia finished with a team-high five putouts, while Lomeli-Garcia had four.
Lomeli-Garcia showed she could swing the bat, too.
In the bottom half of the frame, the senior rocketed a grand slam over the center-field fence, giving the Raiders a 6-0 lead.
Central Catholic shortstop Samantha Nichols joined in on the defensive fun in the fifth, going full extension to rob Wood's Josselyn Alvarez of a single. The Raiders finished with no errors, while the Wildcats had four.
"Misplayed ball here, misplayed ball there," Ramirez said. "When we play at this level, you can recover from one or two, but not multiple."
After the Raiders added two more runs, Wood junior Emily Rivera knocked a three-run home run to left field in the sixth, narrowing the deficit to 8-3. Sova led the Wildcats with two hits, while Rivera, Aiyanna Johnson and Sophia Criswell collected one.
Rivera's blast kept the Wildcats alive, but Garcia entered the circle in the seventh and shut the door with a strikeout, triggering a dogpile of Raiders.
Ramirez said he isn't sure whether the Wildcats will qualify for the CIF Regional Championships, but if Saturday marked the end of the season, the coach said he's looking forward to getting back to this stage.
"When you get to this level, you got to play a good game - a perfect game," Ramirez said, "We didn't play a perfect game, but we battled through it. Like I told them before, we'll be back."
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 8:11 PM.