MIDDLETOWN — Jake Strickler shut out Clear Lake after the first inning and Kelley McKinley”s RBI double in the bottom of the fourth snapped a 3-all tie as the Middletown Mustangs rallied to beat the Cardinals 5-3 in North Central League I interlock varsity baseball action on Friday afternoon at Wes Martin Field.
Middletown, an 8-7 loser in eight innings to Clear Lake last month in Lakeport, spotted Clear Lake (5-4) a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
“Jake struggled in the first inning but settled in after that and really wasn”t in any trouble the rest of the way,” Middletown coach Mitch Tucker said of his senior”s 124-pitch, complete-game effort. “He had a good second inning and that was it.”
Middletown (4-7), a winner of two straight, tied the score with three runs in the bottom of the third and moved ahead to stay in the fourth. Travis Taylor led off with a double and scored on McKinley”s one-out double. McKinley stole third base with two outs and then scored on a throwing error when catcher Nate Velez” pickoff throw bounced off McKinley”s foot and rolled far enough way to allow him to race home.
Freddy Olloqui, the losing pitcher in relief of starter Mike Zimmerman, went 2-for-3 for Clear Lake and Nick Jordan went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
In other NCL I interlock baseball action Friday:
Cloverdale 12, Lower Lake 5
At Cloverdale, the Cloverdale Eagles snapped a 4-4 tie with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and went on to beat the Lower Lake Trojans.
Cloverdale suited up only nine players and finished the game with eight after losing a starter to ejection in the third inning.
Lower Lake (3-5) received a complete-game effort from Joel Valencia, who struck out three and walked one. He also had one of the Trojans” five hits.
Kelseyville 7, Upper Lake 4
At Upper Lake, Kelseyville erased a 4-2 deficit with a three-run fifth inning and beat the Upper Lake Cougars.
Winning pitcher Mike Duman went the distance for the Knights (4-6), striking out two and walking one. He also helped his own cause, going 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI.
Luis Martinez and Scott Khron also had two hits for Kelseyville.
Joe Barnes went 2-for-4 with a RBI for Upper Lake (6-4).
Softball
Clear Lake 8, Middletown 1
At Middletown, winning pitcher Brittany Rumfelt carried a no-hitter deep into the game and finished with a two-hitter as the Clear Lake Cardinals improved to 12-0 with a victory over the host Mustangs.
Rumfelt, who struck out 14 and walked none, lost her no-hitter when Julia Leathers singled with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Jacquie Tobin singled and scored in the seventh.
Jen Carley went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for Clear Lake and Emilee Meyer and Julie Jackson added two hits and a RBI apiece.
Kelseyville 10, Upper Lake 5
At Upper Lake, Lauren Giusti belted a three-run home run and Allyson Brown also drove in three runs to lead Kelseyville past the Upper Lake Cougars.
“Kelseyville played really well,” Upper Lake coach Justin Dutcher said of the Knights, who fell 7-6 to the Cougars last month at the Willits Tournament.
While Giusti”s three-run blast in the bottom of the third gave Kelseyville a 4-1 lead, it was a five-run sixth inning by the Knights (3-8) that snapped a 5-all tie and put them ahead to stay.
Winning pitcher Casey Bowlin struck out four and walked two.
“The last three innings she pitched were the best three innings she”s pitched all season,” said Kelseyville coach Greg Giusti, who also praised the effort of his sophomore shortstop, Megan Andre, who went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
“She played her heart out,” Giusti said.
Sierra Huggins went 3-for-4 with a RBI for Upper Lake (7-4).
