SANTA ROSA >> Trailing 5-2 and down to their final at-bat with the bottom third of the batting order due up, the Lower Lake Trojans were facing a third loss of the season squarely in the face on Saturday morning against the Santa Rosa Panthers in Santa Rosa.
“I was a little frustrated we were not hitting that pitcher,” Lower Lake head coach Chris Emberson said. “I kept thinking our bats would come alive at some point and we would score a bunch of runs. The kids kept believing they could do it.”
Turns out both Emberson and his players were right.
Lower Lake pushed across eight runs in the top of the seventh to rally past the Panthers 10-5 in a non-league game during which the Trojans used a little help from the Santa Rosa defense and a lot of help from their own bats to win the game. Lower Lake (4-2) doubled twice and tripled among its five hits in the seventh.
“That was a big win for us,” Emberson said. “It’s the first time since I’ve been here that we’ve beaten a North Bay League school. The most important part was that the girls felt like they were never out of the game.
“It kind of shows who we are,” Emberson added.
Katrina Rinoldi reached on an error to open the Lower Lake seventh and Adrianna Illia, 4-for-4 on the day, singled her over to third base. Mikelynn Rowe (2-for-4) followed with a two-run triple to make it a 5-4 game and winning pitcher Ashlynn Mock, hitless heading into the seventh, doubled home Rowe to tie the score. After Azuree Meza reached on an error and stole second base, Destiny Apodaca’s double scored both Mock and Meza to put the Trojans ahead for good at 7-5. Kristen Celli (2-for-4) singled home Apodaca to make it 8-5 and run-scoring fielder’s choice groundouts later in the inning by Jolean Scarborough and Rinoldi pushed the lead to 10-5.
Santa Rosa managed to get its leadoff hitter aboard in the bottom of the seventh at which point Mock slammed the door by retiring the next three batters to end the game.
“We took all the wind out of their sails with that big inning,” Emberson said.
Mock went the distance for the victory, allowing eight hits, five earned runs, striking out four and walking three.
Lower Lake hosts Calistoga today at 4 p.m.
In other action Saturday:
M’town 7, Piner 3
At Middletown, Mallory Wisely went 3-for-4 and knocked in two runs as the Middletown Mustangs beat the Piner Prospectors in non-league action.
Wisely also played well in the field, according to Middletown head coach Barry Glosser.
“She made six or seven really nice plays at second base,” he said. “Our outfield did a really good job too. The girls played really well behind her (winning pitcher Olivia Glosser).”
Middleotwn (3-2) grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and added three more runs in the third. After Piner closed to 5-3, the Mustangs scored twice in the bottom of the fifth.
Aly Ferguson also went 2-for-3 for Middletown.
Winning pitcher Glosser went the distance, allowed two earned runs, struck out two and walked two.
Middletown was scheduled to play on Monday in Willows and was about 15 minutes away from its destination when the game was officially rained out.
“It was pouring in Middletown when we left but by the time we reached Williams we could see blue sky,” Glosser said.
As the Mustangs continued north on I-5, the clouds came back in and it began to rain.
“It was a torrential downpour and that was enough to make their field unplayable,” Glosser said.
The game will be rescheduled later this month in Middletown.
The Mustangs are home today, field conditions permitting, against Upper Lake at 4 p.m.
Maria Carrillo 4, Clear Lake 2
At Lakeport, Madi Ferguson blasted a solo home run as part of Clear Lake’s two-run third inning, but the Maria Carrillo Pumas of Santa Rosa rallied to beat the Cardinals in non-league action.
Both teams are now 3-2.
“I was pleased with the effort,” Clear Lake coach Doug Wingler said. “We came out ready to play and I thought we played well. We’re not where we want to be yet, but we’re getting closer.”
Clear Lake took a 2-1 lead into the top of the fifth but Maria Carrillo surged ahead with three runs.
Emily Omiotek (2-for-3) had two of the Cardinals’ six hits. Ferguson, Shyanne Chapin, Alicia Ledesma and Emily Psalmonds had the others.
Losing pitcher Rachel Wingler struck out seven and walked two while allowing seven hits.
The Cardinals are back in action today when they play El Molino in Forestville at 4 p.m. On Friday they open play in the Ukiah Tournament against Mongtomery High School of Santa Rosa.
Baseball
Healdsburg 5, Clear Lake 3
At Lakeport, the Healdsburg Greyhounds completed a doubleheader sweep of sorts by beating the Clear Lake Cardinals only hours after defeating the Kelseyville Knights 6-4 in Kelseyville.
Healdsburg snapped a 3-3 tie with a two-run top of the sixth against Clear Lake reliever Isaac Maize, who took the loss.
The Greyhounds jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning but the Cardinals rallied to tie it with single runs in the first, third and fifth innings.
Ryan Damiata started the game on the mound for Clear Lake and worked four innings. Tyler Manning pitched the fifth before giving way to Maize.
The Cardinals (0-3) collected five hits at the plate, two of them by Maize (2-for-3). Damiata (1-for-3) and Alex Adams (1-for-3) had RBIs.
Clear Lake is home Friday to play St. Bernard of Eureka at 4 p.m.
