LOWER LAKE — Kristen Garcia allowed one hit and struck out nine as the Lower Lake Trojans beat the Potter Valley Bearcats 13-1 in non-league softball action on a cold Tuesday afternoon in Lower Lake.
“It was tough out there,” Lower Lake coach Tim Sherrell said of the chilly and blustery conditions. “I was happy with the way she pitched.”
Garcia allowed an unearned run in the top of the first and blanked the Bearcats over the final four innings. The game was called after 4 ? innings because of the 10-run rule. The only hit she allowed was a single in the top of the third.
Lower Lake snapped a 1-all tie with an eight-run bottom of the second.
Ten Lower Lake players collected hits as the Trojans racked up 14 in all. Katelyn Spooner led the way, going 3-for-3 with five RBIs. Mirella Valencia went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs and Christine Powers went 2-for-3 with a double. Maria Copas (1-for-3) knocked in two runs.
Lower Lake”s defense committed just one error for the second game in a row.
In other softball action Tuesday:
Willows 7, Middletown 1
At Middletown, winning pitcher Briana Brothers struck out 15 while tossing a one-hitter against the Middletown Mustangs in a non-league game. The Willows pitcher also went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
The two teams were knotted at 1 until the fifth thanks largely to the pitching of Middletown starter Victoria Allessandra, who worked the first four innings. She allowed just two hits, struck out one and walked none.
“We really played well the first four innings,” Middletown coach Bob Cummesky said. “Allessandra had us in the game and we were playing great defense behind her.”
Kristy Fiddler replaced Allessandra to open the fifth inning and didn”t get the same kind of support from her defense that Allessandra did — the Mustangs committed four errors behind her.
Outfielder Erika Kirby made two solid plays in left field, according to Cummesky.
“On one ball she was moving back and on the other one in,” Cummesky said. “Two great catches.”
Tory Perez had Middletown”s lone hit as she singled opening the bottom of the second. Perez stole second, moved to third on an error and scored on Ashley Lescher”s grounder to first base. The run tied the score at 1 after Willows had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the inning.
The Honkers moved ahead to stay with one run in the fifth. They broke the game open with four runs in the sixth before adding an insurance run in the seventh.
Middletown is 0-2.
