MIDDLETOWN >> With five North Central League I games remaining for the Middletown Mustangs, head coach Brad Holt said how his team finishes pretty much comes to the pitching.
“We’re playing good defense and hitting the ball well,” Holt said following a 11-1 victory in six innings over the Lower Lake Trojans on Friday during varsity baseball action at Wes Martin Field in Middletown.
Middletown improved to 4-5 in the league standings and 6-10 overall. Whether the team can make a playoff push in its final five games is still to be determined, according to Holt.
“We just need to have them (pitchers) put the ball into play and we’re going to field it,” he said.
On Friday, winning pitcher Travis Williams and reliever John Kelley combined on a three-hitter. Williams allowed an unearned run, the result of Middletown’s lone error.
Hitting the ball was no problem again for the Mustangs, who scored at least one run in every inning. They finished with 12 hits overall. Tyler Showen went 3-for-3 with a double to lead the way, Ty Chorjel went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Sam Pyzer went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
Lower Lake slipped to 0-9 in league and 5-11 overall. Ryan Hallsted, Tyler Dierenfield and Isaiah Klein had the Trojans’ only hits. Starting pitcher Jordan McGrath took the loss.
In other action Tuesday:
Softball
St. Vincent 17, Upper Lake 7
At Petaluma, the Upper Lake Cougars trailed 6-0 after one inning and lost their second straight NCL II game, falling to league leader St. Vincent in five innings.
Losing pitcher Julia Mooney struggled with her control all game as she issued 11 walks, six of those during St. Vincent’s six-run first. She also struck out seven.
Katlyn Minnis went 2-for-2 and drove in four of the Cougars’ runs.
JV baseball
M’town 9, Lower Lake 4
At Lower Lake, the Middletown Mustangs beat the Lower Lake Trojans to remain atop the NCL I standings.
Lower Lake had a 3-0 lead before Middletown rallied for five runs in the top of the fifth. The Mustangs added three more runs in the sixth and another in the seventh.
Jack Mitcham went 2-for-4 with three RBIs for Lower Lake (5-3, 9-4), Austin Oranje went 2-for-4 with a RBI, and Izzac Carver went 2-for-4.
Tennis
Clear Lake’s tennis season ended on Friday during the opening rounds of the Coastal Mountain Conference Championships at Mendocino College in Ukiah.
Clear Lake had two doubles teams reach the quarterfinals before being eliminated. In girls’ action, Lexi Burke and Stacy Partridge beat Kelseyville’s Laurel Weller and Diamond Maglietta 8-1 in the first round before losing to Tessa Dickson and Aliza Green of Mendocino 6-1, 6-1 in the quarterfinals. In boys’ action, Liam Stahl and Ethan Jones beat Angus Fraser and Saul Ochoa of Anderson Valley 8-0 in the first round before falling to Moji Brittingham and Cole Duncan of Mendocino 8-6 in the quarterfinals.
