UPPER LAKE >> Francisco Flores pitched four innings of two-hit ball and Carson Whitfield went 2-for-3 with three RBIs as the Upper Lake High School varsity baseball team made a strong season debut with a 12-2 non-league win over the visiting Calistoga Wildcats on Thursday afternoon.
“The team has a good attitude, a lot better than the last few years,” Upper Lake first-year coach Billy Santos said. “Going to the playoffs is their goal this year.”
Santos and former head coach EJ Crandell, who will assist Santos this season, said they were both encouraged by Upper Lake’s good start.
“We 10-runned them,” Crandell added of the five-inning win over the Wildcats.
Added Santos, “We have a lot of seniors on this team, guys who have been playing (on the varsity) since they were freshmen.”
Among those players are Flores, Dre Santos, Christopher Bills, Alex Sanchez and Anthony Serrano. The Cougars also have a new player on their roster, transfer Whitfield, who can pitch and play shortstop. He saw action at both positions against Calistoga and made a nice defensive play on the mound while working in relief of Flores, according to Crandell.
Flores worked the first four innings for the victory and allowed both of Calistoga’s hits and two unearned runs while striking out six and walking three. Whitfield retired the side in order in the fifth.
Leading 4-2 going to the bottom of the fourth inning, the Cougars broke the game open with a six-run uprising. They tacked on two more runs in the fifth at which point the game ended because of the 10-run rule.
Eddie Crandell went 1-for-3 with a double and three RBIs for Upper Lake, Armando Santos went 1-for-1 and scored twice, and Alex Sanchez went 1-for-3 in a double.
Upper Lake (1-0) travels to Lower Lake on Tuesday. First pitch is 3:30 p.m.
