CALISTOGA >> Upper Lake High School’s Armando Santos needed only 67 pitches to no-hit the Calistoga Wildcats on Tuesday afternoon in the non-league opener for both of these varsity baseball teams in Calistoga.
Santos struck out eight, walked two and allowed no earned runs as the Cougars beat the Wildcats 12-1 in a game called after five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule. He also went 2-for-4 with four stolen bases and four runs scored.
“He’s not a hard thrower, but he’s got good control,” Upper Lake coach Billy Santos said of his son’s solid 2018 opener. He threw a lot of strikes and placed the ball very well. Calistoga had a hard time making contact.”
The Wildcats didn’t hit a single ball out of the infield. The unearned run they scored in the bottom of the first inning was the result of a throwing error, Upper Lake’s only error of the game.
Upper Lake (1-0) had a 3-0 lead before Santos threw his first pitch. The Cougars added two more runs in the third, three in the fourth and four in the fifth.
Nathan O’Bryant powered a 13-hit Upper Lake attack by going 2-for-4 with five RBIs. Darren Swaney went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases and three RBIs while Eddie Crandell Jr. went 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBIs.
The Cougars return to action Wednesday when they visit Kelseyville at 3:30 p.m.
