LOWER LAKE — Joel Valencia struck out the final two batters of the game to earn the save and the Lower Lake Trojans held on to edge the Upper Lake Cougars 9-8 in a North Central League I interlock varsity baseball game on Monday in Lower Lake.
Winning pitcher Anthony Lucchesi worked into the seventh inning but didn”t retire a batter. Valencia came on in relief, inheriting runners at first and third with no outs and a 9-7 lead. He immediately balked home a run to make it 9-8 and the first batter he faced grounded out to second base, moving the potential tying run to third base.
Valencia worked out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts, preserving Lucchesi”s and the Trojans” victory.
“He”s our own Bobby Jenks,” Lower Lake coach Chris Denny said of Valencia, comparing him to the star closer for the Chicago White Sox. “He throws hard and he blew both guys away.”
There were four lead changes in the game, the final one coming in the bottom of the sixth when the Trojans (3-3) scored four times to go up 9-7. Lucchesi singled home two runs in the inning and Albert Collins doubled home two more.
“He (Lucchesi) helped himself quite a bit,” Denny said of his starting pitcher, who went 2-for-4 with a double and four RBIs on the day.
Collins ended up 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Jake Sanders went 2-for-3 for Lower Lake, which beat Upper Lake 11-7 earlier this season at Upper Lake.
Upper Lake rallied for five runs in the top of the sixth to go up 7-5. Pinch-hitter Kieron McCarthy”s two-run singles was the key hit in the uprising.
Billy Binns and Jordan Hickey each had two hits and a RBI for Upper Lake (6-3).
In softball action Monday:
Lower Lake 16, Upper Lake 8
At Lower Lake, Jessica Reising and Morgan Meadows each went 4-for-5 with two RBIs as the Lower Lake Trojans won their first game of the season, beating the Upper Lake Cougars in NCL I interlock action.
“That”s all we”ve been concentrating on in practice and it”s paying off,” Lower Lake coach Joe Parker said of the team”s improved hitting, which produced 23 hits against Upper Lake.
Mirella Valencia went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and Kayla Behler also had three hits for the Trojans.
Upper Lake (7-3) was led by catcher Jessica Swaney, who went 2-for-4 with a double, triple and five RBIs.
The game was tied 8-8 after two innings. Lower Lake pushed in front to stay with a five-run fourth inning.
