UPPER LAKE — After scoring a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull to within one run, the Upper Lake Cougars stranding the potential tying and winning runs on base in a season-opening 5-4 softball loss to the Round Valley Warriors on Tuesday afternoon in Upper Lake.
“We had runners at first and third and hit a comebacker,” Upper Lake first-year coach Justin Dutcher said.
Losing pitcher Courtney Gatton nursed a 2-1 Upper Lake lead into the top of the fifth inning when the Warriors rallied for three runs to go in front to stay.
“We kind of threw the ball around in the fifth inning and it cost us the game,” Dutcher said of the Cougars” initial effort of the 2007 season. “We didn”t look too bad. If we would have been a little more solid on defense we would have won.”
Round Valley added a run in the top of the sixth to go up 5-2. Upper Lake chipped away at the Warriors” lead with single runs in the sixth and seventh.
Gatton, who worked all seven innings for the Cougars (0-1), struck out 11, walked two and hit three batters. She also had half of Upper Lake”s four hits, going 2-for-3.
The Cougars host Potter Valley in a non-league game on March 6 at 3:30 p.m.
