LOWER LAKE — Walks are bad news. Walks combined with errors are the stuff losses are made of.
The Lower Lake Trojans out-hit the Fort Bragg Timberwolves six to three on Monday in Lower Lake, but it was the Timberwolves who won the North Central League I North softball game 7-3 at Lower Lake.
Lower Lake”s downfall? If you guessed walks (five) and errors (four), you”re right.
“Too many walks and errors,” Lower Lake coach Tim Sherrell said.
Lower Lake (1-4 North, 5-13 overall) played another close game with its North rivals only to come away with a loss.
“We”re competitive,” said Sherrell of the 2009 Trojans, something Lower Lake clubs in past seasons have not been.
Fort Bragg improved to a North-best 4-1 in the league standings.
Each of Fort Bragg”s first three runs — one in the top of the first and two in the second — were walked onto base by losing pitcher Kristen Garcia, who settled down after that. She finished with six strikeouts and five walks.
The Timberwolves tallied four more times in the fourth to go up 7-0.
“We had a couple of errors in the outfield that cost us,” Sherrell said.
Lower Lake countered with a run in the bottom of the fourth and added its final two runs in the sixth. Stefanie Mederos circled the bases in the sixth, tripling to center field and scoring on a Fort Bragg error on the relay throw home.
“It was a shot to dead center,” Sherrell said.
Mederos finished 3-for-3 with a RBI and Darlena White went 1-for-3 with a double.
Lower Lake returns to action Thursday in Kelseyville at 4 p.m.
