LAKEPORT — Mike Zimmerman scattered five hits to pick up the victory and junior varsity call-up Bryan Edwards homered as the Clear Lake Cardinals beat the St. Helena Saints 5-2 in the North Central League I South and regular-season finale for both of these varsity baseball teams on Thursday in Lakeport.
Clear Lake ends up third in the NCL I South standings at 4-4 and 17-7 overall. The Cardinals will apply for an at-large berth into next week”s North Coast Section Class A playoffs on Sunday at Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek.
Clear Lake coach Paul Larrea estimated his team”s chances of advancing into the postseason as “50-50,” but said those odds could improve depending on the at-large committee members.
“If they go strictly by the numbers (winning percentage of teams applying), we should make it,” Larrea said. “But if they decide that because we”re a third-place team and don”t deserve to make it because they have other second-place teams (from other leagues) to choose from, we won”t,” Larrea said. “There are too many other second-place teams out there, but they don”t have the record we do.”
Suiting up only 10 players, one of which was Edwards off the Cardinals” JV team, Clear Lake built a 4-2 lead after three innings, more than enough for Zimmerman, who struck out four and walked two.
“When Mike gets into his rhythm and has command, he”s tough to beat,” Larrea said.
Edwards blooped his home run down the left-field line in the third inning. While pursuing the ball, the Saints” left fielder apparently hurt his leg and fell to the ground. No other St. Helena player came out to retrieve the ball and Edwards kept right on running until he reached the plate.
“All the other St. Helena players just stood around and watched,” Larrea said.
Edwards has seen spot duty at the varsity level this season and Larrea said he has been a great addition to the team.
“Bryan has played four games for us this season and has contributed in every game,” Larrea said.
Nick Jordan went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Corey Dillon also had three hits for the Cardinals, who had 12 in all. Ryan Lunas went 2-for-3.
In other games Thursday:
Middletown 10, Lower Lake 0
At Lower Lake, Dylan Galusha struck out the final nine batters of the game and didn”t allow a hit after giving up three in the first inning as the Middletown Mustangs closed out the season with a shutout victory over the Lower Lake Trojans in NCL I North action.
Galusha threw only 69 pitches in the six-inning game and finished with 11 strikeouts and only one walk.
“He dealt it up today,” Lower Lake coach Chris Emberson said. “He was on.”
“It took him a little while to heat up, but once he did he was hitting his spots,” Middletown coach Mitch Tucker added.
Middletown closes out the season 3-5 in the North standings and 9-14 overall. The Mustangs lose only one player to graduation.
“I”m pleased, my guys played hard all season even when things were difficult,” Tucker said. “I return basically the same team, so I”m excited about next year.”
One of those returning players is John Hays, who hit a two-run homer to left-center field to highlight the Mustangs” three-run third. He also scored three times. Galusha also helped his cause by going 1-for-3 with three RBIs.
Lower Lake wraps up the season 0-8 in the North and 3-20 overall.
Softball
Middletown 6, Lower Lake 5
At Lower Lake, Nikeedra Davis” two-run homer to deep left field erased a 5-4 deficit with one out in the top of the seventh inning and lifted the Middletown Mustangs past the Lower Lake Trojans in the final game of the season for both teams.
“It was legitimate,” Lower Lake coach Tim Sherrell said of Davis” game-winning blast. “It was a shot.”
Lower Lake (1-7, 2-18) built a 5-0 lead with four runs in the second and another in the fourth. Middletown (5-3, 10-11) rallied with four runs in the top of the fifth and then won the game on Davis” homer in the seventh.
Ashley Willard went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for Lower Lake.
Cloverdale 9, Upper Lake 1
At Upper Lake, Caity Falge homered in the bottom of the sixth inning for Upper Lake”s only run as the Cougars fell to the Cloverdale Eagles in the NCL I South finale for both teams. It was also the season finale for the Cougars, who end up 0-8 in league and 1-14 overall.
Upper Lake pulled off a double play in the top of the fifth when the Eagles (6-2) had runners at first and third with no outs to get out of the inning unscathed.
Falge went 3-for-3 for Upper Lake.
