ESPARTO >> The Upper Lake Cougars spotted the Esparto Trojans a 5-0 lead but rallied twice for a 12-10 non-league varsity baseball victory on Tuesday in Esparto.
Upper Lake (5-1) scored in every inning but the top of the first after falling behind in the bottom of the inning with starting pitcher Pancho Flores on the mound. Flores was roughed up for seven runs in the three innings he worked but only two of the runs were earned.
Upper Lake actually pushed ahead 8-7 with two runs in the top of the sixth only to fall behind 9-8 in the bottom half. A four-run seventh put the Cougars ahead to stay.
Carson Whitfield, the third Upper Lake pitcher, notched the victory with two innings of relief. Eddie Crandell pitched two shutout innings before giving way to Whitfield.
Dre Santos went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs to spark Upper Lake’s 14-hit attack. Crandell went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs and Armando Santos went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.
“We stopped making so many errors and started hitting the ball,” Upper Lake coach Billy Santos said of the Cougars’ rough first inning.
Upper Lake takes a four-game winning streak into Friday’s road game against Anderson Valley in Boonville. First pitch is 4 p.m.
