LOWER LAKE >> Trailing 3-2 after four innings, the Lower Lake Trojans were feeling pretty good about things on Thursday afternoon while battling an undefeated Cloverdale Eagles softball squad in a North Central League I game at Lower Lake.
“We had momentum going into the fifth inning,” Lower Lake coach Chris Emberson said after the Trojans scored twice in the bottom of the fourth and left the bases loaded in the inning against Cloverdale ace Teanne Edens.
“We were one hit away,” Emberson said.
But momentum belonged to Cloverdale the rest of the way as the Eagles scored 14 runs in their final two at-bats to rout Lower Lake 17-2 in six innings.
Cloverdale (3-0 league, 7-0 overall) scored five times in the top of the fifth against tiring Lower Lake starter Ashlynn Mock, who almost missed the game because of illness. Mock began the sixth inning but didn’t retire a batter as the Eagles tacked on nine more runs against her and reliever Destiny Apodaca.
“Mock was fine in practice yesterday (Wednesday) but she was sick all day today,” Emberson said. “I don’t know what it was, maybe the 24-hour flu bug. She took some medication and started to feel better but you could definitely see she was tired in that inning (fifth). She got fatigued and she did some things she usually doesn’t do.”
Emberson said all the credit goes to Cloverdale, which pounded Mock’s fastball through the fifth inning and into the sixth.
“She put the ball over the plate and they pounded it,” Emberson said. “They made her pay.”
Cloverdale scored a run in the second and two in the third to go up 3-0. Lower Lake (2-1, 8-4) rallied in the bottom of fourth on a RBI groundout by Mikelynn Rowe and a RBI single by Kayla Sanderson.
“We had her rattled,” Emberson said of Edens.
The Trojans also threatened in the bottom of the second, putting runners at second and third, but Edens worked out of the jam.
“We had our opportunities,” Emberson said.
Edens struck out 10 and walked two in five-plus innings for the Eagles. She also went 5-for-5 at the plate, part of Cloverdale’s 15-hit attack.
Azuree Meza went 2-for-3 for the Trojans, who finished with four hits. Sanderson and Kristen Celli had the other hits.
The Trojans travel to Fort Bragg on Tuesday.
In other action Thursday:
Tennis
M’town 4, Kelseyville 1
At Kelseyville, the Middletown Mustangs won the only four contested matches while beating the Kelseyville Knights in Coastal Mountain Conference tennis action.
The Knights picked up a forfeit win in second doubles because the Mustangs do not have a second doubles team this season.
All the other matches were decided in straight sets, beginning with a Trevor Smith and Christian Nikolov 6-0, 6-0 win over Summer Brown and Kristen Amendola in first doubles.
In singles action, Solomon Malicay beat Josh Bridges 6-0, 6-1 in first singles, Robert Amante dispatched Milly Cacho 6-1, 6-0 in second singles, and Johnny Nance defeated Savannah Molley 6-4, 6-2 in third singles.
Middletown is right back at it today with a road match against Clear Lake in Lakeport.
JV baseball
M’town 11, Clear Lake 1 (5 inn.)
At Lakeport, the Middletown Mustangs 10-runned the Clear Lake Cardinals in junior varsity baseball action.
“They’re a good team, as good a team as we’ve faced this season,” Clear Lake coach John Garrison said of the Mustangs, who banged out 11 hits to Clear Lake’s three.
Josh Damiata, Chris White and Kyle Ashworth had one hit each for the Cardinals, who are home Saturday at 11 p.m. to play Upper Lake in a non-league game.
Healdsburg 4, Lower Lake 3
At Healdsburg, playing a rare night game at Recreation Park, the Lower Lake Trojans fell to the Healdsburg Greyhounds on a run-scoring wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Lower Lake (5-3) snapped a 2-all tie in the top of the seventh inning on a Gage Thayer RBI double only to watch Healdsburg rally for two runs in the bottom half to win the non-league game.
Mike Taliaferro started on the mound for Lower Lake and pitched five strong innings. He also had one of Lower Lake’s seven hits. Thayer, Izzac Carver, Austin Oranje, J.T. Tinkler, Bryan Fonseca and William Plubell had the other hits.
