MIDDLETOWN — Josh Gipson tossed a five-hitter but it was Brad Finley?s second home run in as many days that lifted the Middletown Mustangs to a 4-2 North Central League I interlock varsity baseball win over St. Helena on Wednesday at Wes Martin Field in Middletown.
With both teams battling to make the North Coast Section Class A playoffs this season — Middletown in the NCL I North and St. Helena in the NCL I South ? the Mustangs (14-4) now own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Saints, which could be the deciding factor if the two teams end up competing for an at-large berth. Middletown also owns an interlock victory over St. Vincent, which currently leads the NCL I South.
All the scoring in Wednesday?s contest took place in the first inning. The Saints scored two unearned runs in the top of the inning and the Mustangs came back with four in the bottom half, when they collected their only three hits of the game.
Kris Cole and Ryan Peterson opened the bottom of the first with singles and Grant Young drew a walk to load the bases. Gipson then bounced out to the third baseman, Cole scoring on the play as Peterson and Young moved up a base. Finley followed with a shot over the fence in left-center field to make it 4-2.
Middletown reloaded the bases but couldn?t add to its lead.
Middletown?s defense turned double plays in the second and third innings, the latter a 7-6-3 twin killing to thwart a first-and-third, one-out threat by the Saints. St. Helena got a runner as far as second base in the fourth and seventh innings but Gipson denied the Saints each time. He struck out six and walked two while improving to 5-1.
Middletown plays a key NCL I North game on Tuesday in Fort Bragg. Both teams enter play 4-2 and are trying to stay close to Kelseyville (5-0) atop the North standings.
In other action Wednes-day:
Softball
Middletown 9, St. Helena 2
At Middletown, Nicole Scott was a one-girl wrecking for the Mustangs against the visiting St. Helena Saints in NCL I interlock softball play.
Scott tossed a six-hitter, struck out eight and walked one on the mound and the senior also went 3-for-4 with two triples and four RBIs as the Mustangs improved to 10-4.
?She was on today,? Middletown coach Lisa Rogers said. ?She was hotter than the weather and it must have been 93 here today.?
Scott had an RBI triple in the second inning, an RBI single in the fourth and a two-run triple in the fifth to lead the Mustangs. Megan Harrigan singled and walked three times, scoring four runs.
Scott spotted St. Helena a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Middletown pushed ahead to stay with three runs in the bottom of the inning, then added two runs in the second, two in the fourth and two in the fifth.
Middletown faces a critical NCL I North game Tuesday in Fort Bragg. The Mustangs, 6-0 in the North standings, need a win to lock up the league title and an automatic playoff berth. If Fort Bragg (5-1) wins and goes on to tie Middletown for first place, the Timberwolves will get the automatic playoff berth based on a number-draw tiebreaker (Fort Bragg drew No. 1, Middletown No. 2).
?We?ve got to beat them, there?s just no other way,? Rogers said.
Middletown won the first league meeting between the two teams, 2-1 in 10 innings, on April 28 in Middletown.
JV baseball
St. Helena 5, Middletown 1
At Middletown, losing pitcher Victor Cole could have sued for non-support, both from his offense and defense, as the Middletown Mustangs fell to St. Helena in an NCL I interlock junior varsity baseball game.
Cole went the distance for the Mustangs (5-8) and allowed only two earned runs while striking out 11 and walking only three.
?We made our share of errors … again,? Middletown coach Mitch Tucker said. ?Victor pitched a pretty good game.?
Travis Taylor (1-for-3) knocked in the Mustangs? only run.
