LOWER LAKE — Jesus Fonseca had his fastball working and the Lower Lake Trojans took advantage Friday, beating the Mendocino Cardinals 2-0 in a non-league varsity baseball game at Lower Lake.
“It”s nice to get that first win, I”ll tell you,” Lower Lake first-year coach Joe Mattos said of the Trojans” first victory in five tries this season.
Fonseca struck out nine and didn”t walk a batter while scattering four hits.
“He relied on what makes him who he is,” Mattos said of Fonseca”s fastball.
Lower Lake provided all the offense Fonseca would need when Jason Winans singled home Kyle Buckingham in the bottom of the second inning. The Trojans added an insurance run in the fifth when Fonseca singled home George Novak with two outs.
Buckingham went 3-for-3 for the Trojans.
“We played seven innings of baseball,” Mattos said. “It all seemed to click for us today.”
In other baseball action Friday:
Ferndale 10, Upper Lake 1
At Upper Lake, Chase Brodt smacked a three-run home run to power the Ferndale Wildcats past Upper Lake, the Cougars” first loss of the season.
“That core of players they have is good,” Upper Lake coach Jim Green said of the Wildcats. “I have to compliment them. They were taking care of business.”
Ferndale jumped on the Cougars for seven runs in the first two innings. Upper Lake (5-1) got one of those runs back in the bottom of the third on a Gerald Thomas RBI double.
Brodt”s home run, which landed on the infield of the softball diamond at Upper Lake, capped the scoring in the sixth.
Jared Wade went 3-for-4 for Upper Lake and Brandon Bills added two hits. Losing pitcher Lance McCloud left after the first inning trailing 4-0.
St. Vincent 14, Middletown 5
At Middletown, St. Vincent struck for seven runs in the top of the third inning to break open a close game and beat the Middletown Mustangs in non-league action at Wes Martin Field.
K.C. Pedersen doubled home three runs in the top of the third and Andrew Phelps homered to straightaway center field later in the inning.
“They hit the ball well and we didn”t,” Middletown coach Mitch Tucker said of St. Vincent”s 14 hits.
Middletown (1-3) also stranded 14 runners.
“A lack of timely hitting,” Tucker said.
Ryan Johnson, the first of three Middletown pitchers, took the loss.
Dylan Pastor, Kyle Harmyk and Daniel Sallee all had a hit and a RBI for the Mustangs. John Hays (1-for-3) doubled.
