FAIR OAKS, Calif. – Freshman Lola Fox hit Tayli Paeu-Lindgren on a pair of touchdown passes as part of a second-half comeback run but St. Francis ultimate came up one possession short in a 32-27 loss at Del Campo in the varsity nightcap of a girls' flag football doubleheader Tuesday night.

The Troubies fall to 0-4 despite their season-best offensive output.

Fox also connected with sophomore Natalia Zitelli early in the game, while an interception TD return by freshman Monet Zauner late in the first half sparked the comeback from an initial 25-6 hole. Paeu-Lindgren also pulled in the conversion on Zauner's pick six, giving the sophomore receiver a total of 13 points in the contest.

Paeu-Lindgren and Zitelli collectively marched St. Francis down the field to start the second half, resulting in a 17-yard strike to Paeu-Lindgren, cutting the deficit to a single possession. Zauner had three stops on the ensuing Cougar drive to hold the hosts on downs, giving the Troubies a chance to tie or even take the lead.

Zitelli posted enough yards after the catch to scamper her way down the right sideline before getting clotheslined at the DC 20-yard line. Instead, the flag went against SF, moving the sticks to the 31. On a fourth-and-8, Paeu-Lindgren tipped a pass to herself, then advanced her way to the DC 15 for a first-and-goal. Unfortunately for SF, the Cougar defense protected its red zone, with sophomore Alyssa Busath nearly intercepting a pass in the process.

Instead, Del Campo senior Reese Mills pulled down a long pass from Sophia Wright to convert a third-and-12. A pitch to Mills then brought the Cougars inside the SF 10, with Wright scoring on a keeper with 2:55 to go. The conversion pushed DC back up by a 32-19 lead, with the Troubies taking over at the two-minute warning.

After a short run from freshman Piper Bates and an incomplete pass to Zitelli, Paeu-Lindgren moved the ball to her own 35 to make it fourth-and-5 with 77 seconds left. Fox found Zitelli for a fourth-down conversion, then Zauner grabbed another pass for a short gain, forcing SF head coach Quincy Cooper to call a timeout with 54 ticks remaining. Fox hit Paeu-Lindgren, who quickly attempted a lateral to Zia Smith. While the second pass fell to the turf, the first grab completed the first down. Fox connected with Zauner on a screen pass, but Zauner could not get to the sidelines to stop the clock.

Instead, with time winding down, Fox passed to Paeu-Lindgren just a yard shy of the goal line. The 6-foot-tall wideout reached the ball into the end zone before Regan Johnson or nearby linebacker Keira Rowan could reach her flag, finishing the fourth Troubie touchdown. Smith, normally a linebacker, had lined up on offense for the final series. The team co-captain scored her first two-point conversion despite a false start penalty lengthening the try by five yards.

The Troubies' junior varsity lost by just a 9-6 final in the opener. Freshman Mariko Palmieri scored her first career touchdown, but a fumble in the end zone awarded the Cougars a rare safety, cutting the lead to 6-2. Del Campo scored the go-ahead to stun SF with the loss.

St. Francis returns to action in a varsity-only home game with Sacramento Charter on Thursday. This game has moved back by 30 minutes to 6 p.m. to reduce the effects of the heat wave in the area. Both teams then head to Christian Brothers for the second-annual Holy Bowl matchup. Game times are 5:30 and 7 p.m. at Peter P. Bollinger '57 Stadium.