LAKEPORT — Clear Lake emptied its bench after a seven-run bottom of the first and rolled past Geyserville 15-1 in a non-league softball contest called after 4 1/2 innings because of the 10-run rule on Thursday in Lakeport.
Liz Sanderson, 2-0, went the distance for Clear Lake (3-0) and allowed three hits while striking out seven and walking one.
Heather White went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs and freshman catcher Valerie Strate went 2-for-3 with a double. Corinne McKinney and Morgan Psalmonds also had two hits and a RBI apiece. Strate and Haley Garzoli (1-for-1, 2 RBIs), both freshmen, had their first high school hits.
“She did a good job of hitting and catching,” Clear Lake coach Gary Pickle said of Strate, who caught the final four innings. “She”s really improved the last two weeks.”
In other softball action Thursday:
Upper Lake 21, Potter Valley 1
At Upper Lake, Reb-ecca Swaney went 5-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and five RBIs, part of a 33-hit attack in the Cougars” lopsided victory over Potter Valley.
Winning pitcher Katherine Edmonds combined with Jessica Swaney on a one-hitter. Edmonds struck out five, walked two and allowed the lone Potter Valley hit during her four-inning stint. Swaney struck out the side in the top of the fifth, at which point the game was halted because of the 10-run rule.
Edmonds, Jessica Swaney, Lisa Irwin, Ashley Arroyo and Taryn Re had four hits apiece for Upper Lake (2-0).
Baseball
Kelseyville 6, Lower Lake 2
At Lower Lake, Blake Sedrick pitched six innings for the victory and Max Huff and Mike DeGregorio each went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs as the Kelseyville Knights spoiled Lower Lake”s home opener in non-league action.
Sedrick and Huff combined on a five-hitter. Huff struck out the side in the seventh.
“I really think our biggest thing is we need to hit the ball,” Lower Lake first-year coach Joe Mattos said. “We were competitive, but we never caught up to Sedrick.”
Mattos said he was impressed with Kelseyville”s defense.
“They played a good, solid defensive game and made some great catches,” Mattos said of Kelseyville third baseman Dakota Velez and catcher Ethan Rohner. “Their third baseman made two nice plays and their catcher made a nice play up against the screen.”
Velez, only a sophomore, also went 2-for-3.
Joe Riggs and losing pitcher Stephen Whitcomb went 2-for-3 with a RBI for the Trojans (0-2).
Upper Lake 18, Potter Valley 7
At Potter Valley, trailing 6-0 after two innings, the Upper Lake Cougars roared back to beat the Potter Valley Bearcats in non-league action.
Upper Lake improved to 4-0 behind the relief pitching of freshman Jared Wade, who replaced starter Gerald Thomas after two innings. In his five innings of work, the left-hander allowed just two hits and one run, struck out five and walked one. He faced just two batters over the minimum.
“His curveball was nasty today,” Upper Lake coach Jim Green said. “He”s got pretty good juice when he throws the fastball, but his curveball was great. Those right-handed hitters thought it was going to be outside and it breaks right over the plate.”
Upper Lake scored three times in the top of the fifth inning to push in front to stay at 8-7. Brandon Bills” RBI single scored Cory Burnett to snap a 7-7 tie. Bills, a utlityman for Green”s Cougars, went 5-for-6 with a double and three RBIs. Burnett also had a big day, going 4-for-5 with a double and three RBIs.
Thirteen of Upper Lake”s 18 runs were scored by the bottom four hitters in the batting order, according to Green.
“Boy, did the bottom of the lineup help us today,” Green said.
Upper Lake”s defense committed just one error and center fielder Billy Armstrong threw out a pair of Potter Valley runners on the basepaths.
“I”ve been telling them that we need to finish strong and did we finish with a flurry,” Green said of the 10 runs the Cougars scored in their final two at-bats.
Golf
Kelseyville opens with win
At Little River, the Kelseyville Knights of the Coastal Mountain Conference South participated in a season-opening non-conference meet with four CMC North schools on the Mendocino County coast.
“It was windy, beautiful, about 55 degrees,” Kelseyville coach John Berry said. “We could see the storm (predicted for today) making its way toward the coast.”
Rebuilding this season after losing key players to graduation, the 2010 Knights are a collection of returning players and first-time senior players such as Brandon Walker and Peter Wotherspoon.
Kelseyville posted a one-shot victory over Mendocino, 467-468, with Willits close behind in third place at 472. Fort Bragg was next at 510 and Point Arena had 555.
The low rounds of the day belonged to Fort Bragg”s Matt Lowe with an 84 on the par-71 Little River course, and to Point Arena”s Trace Yeager with 87. Jordan Blough of Willits and Tyler Drake of Kelseyville had 89.
Also for the Knights, Wyatt Ferrell and Corey Huber carded rounds of 93.
