TOMALES — After opening the season with three straight road games, the Tomales Braves returned home Thursday to shut out the Lower Lake Trojans 5-0 in a non-league softball game on the Marin County coast.
It was the third shutout of the season for Tomales pitcher Nicole Nygard, who blanked the Trojans on only three hits — singles by Christine Powers, Katelyn Spooner and losing pitcher Kristen Garcia. Nygard struck out six and walked four.
Tomales struck early, scoring three times in the bottom of the first. The Braves added single runs in the second and fifth innings.
“We got the bat on the ball more today,” Lower Lake coach Tim Sherrell said. “But we made too many errors (five).”
Garcia worked the first four innings for Lower Lake, striking out seven and walking four. She allowed four of Tomales” five hits.
Lower Lake”s best chance to score came in the top of the seventh but the Trojans ran themselves out of the inning, according to Sherrell.
Lower Lake plays College Prep at 11:45 a.m. Saturday in the opening round of the Calistoga Tournament.
