LAKEPORT >> Two teams hoping to qualify for the North Coast Section Division IV baseball playoffs as at-large teams later this month squared off Monday afternoon at Clear Lake High School where the Middletown Mustangs prevailed 7-4 over the error-plagued Cardinals in North Central League I action.
Middletown (5-5 league, 7-10 overall) received 4 2/3 innings of relief from Travis Williams, who notched the victory after replacing a struggling starter Stephen Amos.
“He’s never started a game before and he was getting a little too excited,” Middletown coach Brad Holt said Amos, who had a hard time throwing strikes in the top of the third inning. After beaning Cody Dillsaver to force in a run, the Cardinals’ first of the game, Holt said he had seen enough.
“Williams has got more stuff and I went with him,” Holt said. “Better to make a move too early rather than too late.”
With a run in to cut Middletown’s lead to 3-1, Williams went to work with the bases loaded and only one out. He got Jake Jackson on a flyball to shallow center field before striking out Isaac Maize to end the threat. Both Amos, who hit four and walked two, and Williams, who struck out five and walked, enjoyed solid defense behind them. The same could not be said for Clear Lake starter Isaac Lewis, who deserved a much better fate. The Cardinals committed four errors in the top of the first inning to set up Middletown’s first two runs. They finished with 10 errors overall, nine by the infielders.
“I’m surprised we played all seven innings. We could have been 10-runned,” Clear Lake coach Zane Jensen said. “That we did play the entire game says something about the pitching. Isaac did a good job and he’s only a sophomore.”
Lewis lasted six-plus innings before Ryan Damiata came on to get the final three outs.
Middletown didn’t get its first hit of the game until the top of the third when John Kelley (3-for-4), who had singles in his final three at-bats, reached on an infield hit. Amos singled home a run later in the inning to make it 3-0.
The Mustangs opened up a 5-1 lead in the top of the fourth, rallying for two runs with two outs and the bases empty. Chris Davis doubled, Kelley singled him home, Brett Pike reached on a single and Kelley later scored on a wild pitch.
“I was a little bit worried about him because of his (slightly injuryed) wrist,” Holt said of Kelley, who bats second in the Middletown order. “I could see it was bothering him a little bit in his first at-bat, but he was fine after that.”
Clear Lake (4-6, 5-15) tried to make a game of it in the bottom of the sixth and got as close as 5-3 on a two-run single by Lewis, but with with potential tying runs at first and second and only one out, Williams got tough again, striking out Alex Adams before getting Dillsaver to pop out to second base to end the inning.
Middletown got those two runs back in the top of the seventh on a RBI single by Tyler Showen and a RBI groundout by Williams. Clear Lake scored an unearned run in the bottom of the inning.
Jensen really didn’t have a reason why the Cardinals struggled so much when it came to catching and throwing the ball against Middletown, especially after a recent run of solid defense by his junior-dominated squad.
“We’re Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Jensen said of the Cardinals. “I know the pitchers did well today.”
Clear Lake needs to win three of its four remaining league games to have a shot at the postseason while Middletown needs to go at least 2-2 in its final four.
“We’ll see what we can do,” Jensen said.
Hunter Daily went 2-for-3 for the Cardinals, who finished with seven hits. Damiata and Jackson also had doubles. Chris Davis had a double for Middletown.
Game notes: Clear Lake plays Cloverdale, Lower Lake Fort Bragg and St. Helena in its final four. Middletown has St. Helena, Willits, Kelseyville and Fort Bragg. Middletown’s home game against St. Helena has been moved up to Thursday after originally being scheduled for Friday.
