LOWER LAKE >> Shelbie Harris allowed only one runner to reach second base and only two baserunners overall as the Lower Lake Trojans opened their North Central League I softball schedule with a 10-0 victory in five innings against the St. Helena Saints on Thursday afternoon in Lower Lake.
It was the senior Harris’ day no matter how you dissect this one. She took a no-hitter into the top of the fifth when St. Helena’s leadoff batter reached on a clean single and later advance to second on a passed ball. She also walked the first batter of the game only to strand her at first.
“She had great control,” Lower Lake coach Chris Emberson said. “Her changueup was working well.”
Harris also struck out nine.
Hitting in the No. 2 spot in the Trojans’ batting order, Harris knocked in the first two runs of the game just two batters into the bottom of the first. After leadoff hitter Emma Diener drew a walk, Harris homered, driving a belt-high pitch about 230 feet to straightaway center field, according to Emberson.
“Our fence in center is 200 feet and that ball was hit a good 225 to 230 feet,” he said. “The girl left it up in the zone and Shelbie did what you’re supposed to do with a pitch like that.”
Harris’ bat is warming up just in time for league play, which is a trademark of her four-year career at Lower Lake, according to Emberson.
“She’s starting to tear it up,” he said.
Harris also knocked in Lower Lake’s 10th run with a one-out double in the bottom of the fifth, ending the game because of the 10-run rule.
Lower Lake (1-0 league, 7-2 overall) scored in every at-bat against the Saints (0-1), who were coming off a 9-5 league-opening win Tuesday against Kelseyville. The Trojans tallied three runs in the first, another in the second, two in the third, three in the fourth and one in the fifth.
Eight different players had hits for Lower Lake and five collected RBIs. Azuree Meza, Alex DeGraw and Destiny Apodaca all had doubles. Meza’s double hit midway up the center field wall in the fourth inning.
“It just missed being a home run,” Emberson said.
Lower Lake returns to action Saturday against Justin-Siena of Napa in the opening round of the Calistoga Tournament. First pitch is 10 a.m. The Trojans will play either Kelseyville or Calistoga later Saturday in the final round.
