LOWER LAKE >> Lower Lake rallied with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to push in front and went on to beat the Pierce Bears 9-4 in the varsity baseball season opener for both teams on Tuesday afternoon in Lower Lake.
The game was called after 5 ½ innings because of darkness.
Lower Lake (1-0) built a 3-0 lead after two innings but Pierce (0-1) came back to take a 4-3 lead with three runs in the top of the third and another in the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, winning pitcher Ethan Watson led off with a single, stole second and came all the way around to score when the throw down to second went into center field for a two-base error. With two outs and the bases empty, Jordan McGrath singled and stole second and Reed Diener doubled him home to give the Trojans a 5-4 lead. Diener later scored on a passed ball to make it 6-4.
The Trojans added three insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth.
“We are a little rusty,” first-year coach Jim Peters said. “We have a new coaching staff, the same players but a new attitude. I like the way they came right back to take the lead (in the bottom of the fourth).”
Watson, working in relief of starter Eric Graves, pitched 3 2/3 innings of no-hit ball. He allowed one run, struck out three and walked five. Watson also went 3-for-3, scored four times and drove in a run to anchor Lower Lake’s nine-hit attack. McGrath and Diener finished with two hits apiece. Izzac Carver went 1-for-4 with two RBIs.
“We can hold our own,” said Peters, who is hoping to revive a program that hasn’t experienced much success in recent years. “As long as our defense holds up we can keep the runs down. We hit the ball today better than I thought we would.”
Lower Lake returns to action Tuesday at Upper Lake. First pitch is 3:30 p.m.
