MIDDLETOWN >> Athena Golling ended Middletown’s season-opening win streak at three games on Friday afternoon as the Berean Christian Eagles of Walnut Creek rolled to a 13-0 victory in a non-league softball game at Middletown.
Golling allowed just one hit in the five-inning game, a two-out single to Brittney Holt in the bottom of the first. She struck out 11 and walked just one as Berean Christian improved to 3-1 on the season, the same record as Middletown.
“They’re definitely upper tier,” Middletown coach Barry Glosser said of the Eagles. “They’re one of the best teams we’re going to face this season.
“Her location was excellent,” Glosser added of Bolling. “She had a good riseball going early and her changeup was effective later in the game. Once she got ahead of you it was over.”
Berean Christian jumped on top with two runs in the top of the first inning against losing pitcher Renee Edwards, who struck out four and walked three. The Eagles broke the game open with a five-run third and a four-run fourth.
Middletown returns to action Tuesday at Santa Rosa. The Mustangs’ next home game is Friday against St. Vincent. Both games start at 4 p.m.
In other softball action Friday:
Upper Lake 10
Potter Valley 0
At Potter Valley, Janee Swaney went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and Ashely Aceves went 4-for-5 with two RBIs as the Upper Lake Cougars squared their season record at 1-1 by shutting out the Potter Valley Bearcats.
Winning pitcher Julia Mooney tossed a three-hitter, struck out five and walked two.
Upper Lake scored five times in the first two innings and five times in the final two innings. KJ Taylor contributed two hits, one of them a double, and drove in three runs for the Cougars.
A highlight for Upper Lake was Janee Swaney’s bunt single. A throwing error on the play allowed Swaney to advance to second and she continued all the way around to home as Potter Valley’s players, thinking the ball had rolled out of play, never retrieved it.
Upper Lake backed Mooney with solid defense. After committing nine errors in a season-opening 14-4 loss at Kelseyville on Wednesday, the Cougars made only two errors against Potter Valley.
“It was like a whole new team showed up,” Upper Lake coach Kelly Coburn said.
Coburn singled out Aceves, a freshman, for an outstanding effort against the Bearcats.
“She really impressed me,” Coburn said.
Upper Lake returns home Wednesday to play Kelseyville at 4 p.m.
Baseball
Berean Christian 9
Middletown 7
At Middletown, in a game called because of darkness with Middletown still batting in the bottom of the seventh inning, a game-tying two-out, two-run single by Chris Davis was wiped off the books as Berean Christian of Walnut Creek beat the Mustangs.
Davis’ single momentarily tied the game at 9-9, however, the umpires called the game at that point because it was too dark to continue. By rule, an inning still in progress when a game is called (for darkness or for rain) does not count and the game reverts back to the last completed inning, in this case the sixth with Berean Christian ahead 9-7.
Had Davis run himself into the third out of the inning after his two-run single, the game would been suspended at 9-9 and could have resumed at a later date.
“It was too dark,” Middletown coach Brad Holt said of the playing conditions entering the bottom of the seventh.
Middletown led 7-6 through five innings only to give up a three-run home run to Berean Christian in the top of the sixth, the Eagles’ third homer of the day. Their first two came during a four-run top of the first. The Mustangs rallied back to take a 7-4 lead after three innings.
Tyler Holt, working in relief of starter Albert Ruske, took the loss as Middletown fell to 0-4 on the season.
The Mustangs pounded out 13 hits in the loss, with Davis and Travis Williams getting three apiece. Holt, Brett Pike and John Kelly added two hits each.
Tennis
And. Valley 4
Clear Lake 1
At Boonville, Arturo Olmedo and Chris Vincent teamed up for a 6-7 (7-4), 6-4, 7-3 win in first doubles, Clear Lake’s lone victory in a 4-1 season-opening loss to Anderson Valley in non-conference tennis action.
A seven-point tiebreaker was played in the third and decisive set because of time constraints.
In second doubles, Scotty Mather and Serano Domingez lost 6-3, 6-0.
Clear Lake also lost all three singles matches. Bailey Elkington fell 6-1, 6-0 in first singles, Liam Stahl dropped a 6-3, 6-2 decision in second singles, and Lexi Burke fell 6-3, 6-1 in third singles.
Clear Lake’s Coastal Mountain Conference opener is Friday in Cloverdale at 4 p.m.
JV baseball
Clear Lake 6
Ukiah frosh 3
At Lakeport, Ryan Damiata pitched four solid innings, allowing just one unearned run, and the Clear Lake High School junior varsity baseball team beat the Ukiah frosh squad in non-league action.
It was the season opener for the Cardinals (1-0). Damiata scattered five hits, struck out five and walked only one.
“He had pretty good pop on his fastball,” Clear Lake coach Scott De Leon said. “He’s working on developing some off-speed pitches and they seemed to work OK for him.”
Hunter Dailey supported Damiata by going 3-for-4 at the plate with a triple. Max De Leon went 2-for-4.
