FORT BRAGG — Two games into their North Central League I North schedule, the Lower Lake Trojans were 0-2 and looking up at everyone else in the standings.
Time to panic? Time to quit? No and no, according to Lower Lake junior varsity baseball head coach Mike Huffman.
“We had our backs up against it, but we never gave up,” Huffman said on Thursday after the Trojans closed out their North schedule with a 5-0 victory over the Fort Bragg Timberwolves at Fort Bragg.
The win over Fort Bragg was the Trojans” sixth straight in league play, and that one-time 0-2 team in last place was now the NCL I North undisputed champion at 6-2.
“I”m ecstatic,” Huffman said. “I”m grinning from ear to ear. The kids are overjoyed.”
Jake Peters tossed a one-hitter, allowing just a two-out single in the first inning, to get the victory. He struck out five and also walked nine. John Duncan swung the hot bat for the Trojans, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs. In fact, Duncan had two hits from both sides of the plate, according to Huffman. Josh McCarty went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
“Our hitters 1-6 dominated this year,” Huffman said of his potent batting order.
Lower Lake broke the game open with a three-run top of the third. With the bases loaded and no outs, Duncan singled home two runs and McCarty followed with a RBI single.
Entering play Thursday, the Trojans (6-2, 10-10) needed some help to win the undisputed league championship and they got it in the form of Kelseyville”s 9-2 upset victory over Middletown at Kelseyville. Had Middletown (5-3) won, the Mustangs would have shared the league title with Lower Lake for the second year in a row.
Several of Huffman”s players are moving up to the varsity ranks next season where they could help end a long string of losing seasons by the varsity Trojans.
“I”m really looking forward to seeing what they can do,” Huffman said. “There are some good athletes going up.”
