CLOVERDALE >> Middletown pitcher Tyler Holt nursed a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning only to end up on the wrong end of a 5-1 decision to the Cloverdale Eagles in North Central League I varsity baseball action on Monday afternoon in Cloverdale.
Holt went the distance for the Mustangs (7-6 league, 10-12 overall) and allowed only three hits, but he walked eight while his defense committed four errors behind him. Cloverdale, which closed out its league schedule at 10-4, pulled even with a run in the bottom of the fifth before pushing ahead to stay during a four-run sixth fueled by Middletown walks and errors.
The Mustangs’ lone run came in the top of the second on a Travis Williams RBI single. Williams (2-for-3) and Brett Pike (2-for-3), who had a one-out double in the second, combined for four of Middletown’s five hits.
Holt struck out six while watching his season record dip to 6-5.
Middletown’s league finale is today at home against undefeated league champion Clear Lake (13-0) at 4 p.m. At 23-0 overall, the Cardinals are also gunning for a perfect regular season. They beat the Mustangs 12-11 on May 5 in Lakeport.
Win or lose against Clear Lake, Middletown coach Brad Holt said the Mustangs would apply for an at-large berth in next week’s North Coast Section Division IV playoffs. Clear Lake figures to be the top seed when the Division V playoff field is released on Sunday.
