CLOVERDALE — Jen Emberson scattered six hits and struck out five and the Middletown Mustangs bounced back from losses in their first two games to beat the St. Helena Saints 8-3 in a final-round game at the Cloverdale Softball Tournament on Saturday in Cloverdale.
It was a 3-3 game until the Mustangs (4-7) pushed across two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. They added three more in the sixth.
Middletown dropped a 5-2 decision earlier in the day to Salesian High School of Richmond, which advanced to the championship game. Emberson also went the distance in that game, allowing five hits, striking out five and walking only one.
“She actually pitched a stronger game against Salesian,” Middletown coach Lisa Rogers said. “It seems like the tougher the team she faces, the better she pitches.”
Emberson called her own pitches in both games, according to Rogers.
Jacquie Tobin went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple in the win over St. Helena. She circled the bases for what appeared to be an inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the third inning but was called out for missing first base.
Julia Leathers and Amber Lofton also had two hits apiece for the Mustangs.
Against Salesian, Sam Senseney homered in the third inning for Middletown”s final run, which knotted the score at 2-2. Salesian broke the tie with three runs in the fourth.
In other softball action Saturday:
Upper Lake 16, South Fork 2
Upper Lake 18, South Fork 7
At South Fork, the Upper Lake Cougars swept a non-league doubleheader from South Fork, but the two wins came with a huge price tag attached as the Cougars” catcher, Rebecca Grupe, injured her knee sliding into home in game two and might be out for the season.
“That”s a huge blow,” Upper Lake coach Justin Dutcher said.
While Courtney Gatton was winning both games for the Cougars, striking out 21 in just 11 innings, she received plenty of support from her offense, which banged out 39 hits on the day.
Ariana Bravo went 4-for-4 with four RBIs in the first game and Jessica Swaney went 4-for-5 with two doubles in three RBIs in the second game.
