LOWER LAKE — Sometimes the offense picks up the defense and then there are times when it”s the other way around. Like on Monday.
Katelyn Spooner”s run-saving catch in right-center field in the top of the seventh provided the spark in the bottom of the seventh as the Lower Lake Trojans rallied to beat the Willits Wolverines 2-1 in a North Central League I North softball game at Lower Lake.
“That gave us some momentum,” Lower Lake coach Tim Sherrell said of Spooner”s catch, which came with two outs and Willits runners at second and third. “She was going full speed.”
Trailing 1-0 going to the bottom half of the inning, winning pitcher Kristen Garcia reached on an error to lead off and Nicole Spooner singled while attempting to sacrifice Garcia to second (Willits failed to cover first base). After Katelyn Spooner was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Katreena Galindo worked the count full before singling into left-center field to score the tying and winning runs.
Until the seventh, the game”s only run belonged to the Wolverines, who moved ahead 1-0 in the top of the fourth.
“We were hitting shots right at people,” Sherrell said of Lower Lake”s luck at the plate until the seventh.
Fortunately for the Trojans (1-1 North, 3-8 overall), Garcia”s pitching and timely defense kept it a one-run game. Garcia struck out six and walked only one. Twice she struck out Willits batters to strand runners in scoring position and the Trojans also turned a 4-6-3 double play — second baseman Maria Copas to shortstop Isabell Azbill to first baseman Mirella Valencia — to wipe out a budding Willits threat in the top of the fifth.
“Valencia had a gold glove for us today,” Sherrell said. “She must have dug five balls out of the dirt.”
Valencia also went 2-for-2 at the plate. Christine Powers and Nicole Spooner also had hits.
Lower Lake is scheduled to host Cloverdale in an NCL I interlock game on Wednesday afternoon. The Trojans” next league game is Friday in Middletown at 4 p.m.
