UPPER LAKE — The Upper Lake Cougars built a 7-3 lead and then held on to edge the Willits Wolverines 7-6 in a North Central League I interlock softball game on Tuesday at Upper Lake.
Upper Lake (8-10) had a chance to break the game open on several occasions and ended up stranding 16 runners.
“We left the bases loaded four times,” Upper Lake coach Craig Kinser said.
Andrea Elliston smacked a lead-off home run in the bottom of the fourth to give Upper Lake a 5-3 lead. The blast to center field ignited a three-run rally.
“We have a short porch in center field, but it was legitimate,” Kinser said of Elliston”s home run, the first this year by an Upper Lake player.
Crystal Snyder went 3-for-5 and Jen Cox went 3-for-5 with an RBI to spark a 12-hit Upper Lake attack. Elliston and Caty Falge each had two hits and Falge also drove in two runs.
Upper Lake staked winning pitcher Courtney Gatton to a 4-0 lead after two innings. Gatton went the distance, striking out nine and walking four.
The Cougars were able to overcome eight defensive miscues.
Willits struck for three runs in the seventh to make it a one-run game.
Upper Lake closes out its NCL I South and season schedule on Friday in Lakeport against NCL I South champion Clear Lake.
