ST. HELENA — Marlon Solonga of Middletown pinned Jamal Parker of Lower Lake in the second round at 106 pounds, sealing the Mustangs” 41-31 victory over the Trojans in a Coastal Mountain Conference dual wrestling meet on Wednesday in St. Helena.
Middletown took a 35-31 lead into the final match.
It was the conference opener for all three teams.
“It was exciting, that place was roaring,” Lower Lake coach Ed Fuchs said. “We needed a pin to win.”
Solonga took a 6-3 lead into the second round before pinning Parker.
Each team forfeited multiple weight divisions, including a double-forfeit at 132 pounds. Of the five contested matches, Middletown won three.
Lower Lake”s victories came at 145 pounds, where Dominick Dingess won 14-4, and at 152 pounds, where Erick Moreno won 12-8. Middletown countered with victories at 160 pounds, where Anthony Castaldo beat Wayne Harris, 19-4, and at 170 pounds, where Joseph Foster pinned Lower Lake”s Ryan Gomez in the first round.
While Lower Lake fell to Middletown, the Trojans did defeat St. Helena 48-24, winning five of the six contested weight divisions, all by pin.
Lower Lake winners were Parker by first-round pin at 106 pounds; Dingess by second-round pin at 145 pounds; Moreno by second-round pin at 152 pounds; Thomas Cross by first-round pin at 182 pounds; and Thaddeus Wetmore by first-round pin at 195 pounds. St. Helena won at 170 pounds, where Gomez lost by first-round pin.
Lower Lake resumes its CMC schedule on Wednesday in Willits against the host Wolv-erines and Upper Lake Cougars.
