HEALDSBURG >> HEALDSBURG – Locked in a tight battle with Healdsburg through five innings, the Lower Lake Trojans finally got their groove on – as in hitting groove – in the top of the sixth under the lights Thursday night at Healdsburg High School.
Adrianna Illia led off the sixth with a home run to deep right field and the Trojans went on to score 10 more runs in the inning en route to a 17-7 non-league victory over the Greyhounds.
“We didn’t play our best ball early in the game,” Lower Lake coach Chris Emberson said of the 5-4 lead his Trojans, now winners of five straight, took into the sixth inning.
Both teams scored a run in the first inning and three in the third inning for a 4-4 tie. Lower Lake pushed ahead 5-4 in the top of the fourth.
“We had a rough third inning,” Emberson said of the two errors the Trojans committed in the bottom of the third, paving the way for Healdsburg’s three-run rally that tied the game at 4.
Illia’s home run in the sixth seemed to rattle the Greyhounds and their starting pitcher, who they later chased as the 11-run inning unfolded. Lower Lake sent 16 batters to the plate in the sixth.
“They brought in another pitcher and we hit her pretty hard, too,” Emberson said.
While the majority of Lower Lake’s 13 hits came in the sixth, Alex DeGraw (2-for-5) came up with a big hit early on as she doubled home two runs with two outs during the Trojans’ three-run third inning.
“She hit it right down the first-base line,” Emberson said. “It was a clutch hit.”
DeGraw finished with a team-best four RBIs.
Azuree Meza led the Trojans with four hits and Illia (2-for-3) had a triple to go along with her solo home run. Destiny Apodaca, Kristen Celli, winning pitcher Ashlynn Mock and Mikelynn Rowe chipped in with two RBIs apiece.
Mock went the distance for the victory, allowing 11 hits and five earned runs, striking out four and walking two.
It was only the second loss in seven games for Healdsburg this season.
The Trojans face another tough test on Tuesday at home against Montgomery High School of Santa Rosa.
“I’m excited to see how good we really are,” Emberson said. “This is a good test for us.”
