LOWER LAKE >> Catchers aren’t supposed to be fast, a baseball/softball fact that Mikelynn Rowe of the Lower Lake Trojans can certainly dispute after hitting two inside-the-park home runs – in the same inning – Friday afternoon against the Willits Wolverines at Lower Lake.
Rowe led off the bottom of the third with a home run down the right-field line and came around to hit again during the 10-run inning, repeating her feat only this time belting a two-run blast down the right-field line, as the Trojans beat up the Wolverines 13-0 in North Central League I softball action.
Lower Lake’s league opener was notable for other reasons, including the one-hitter pitched by Shelby Sapeta, who struck out 12 and walked only one.
“She’s getting better command of her four pitches and it’s a good thing to watch,” Lower Lake coach Chris Emberson said. “I’m very happy where she’s at.”
Rowe’s feat is one you won’t see very often. In fact, Emberson said he’s never seen it before.
“She has been hitting the ball pretty well, but she hasn’t squared it up like she did today,” Emberson said. “I can’t ever remember seeing that before, definitely not from a catcher. She can run, she’s a star player for us.”
Rowe finished the day 3-for-4 with four RBIs as Lower Lake sent Willits (0-2) to its second straight league loss. Kayla Sanderson went 2-for-3 with a double and Kayla Doud went 1-for-3 with two RBIs as Lower Lake improved to 4-0 on the season.
Lily Griffin, Patti McCleery, Adrianna Illia, Jordan Rivera and Jackie Cooper also had hits and drove in runs for the Trojans, who are home Tuesday to play Kelseyville (1-0).
“Next week will be a test,” Emberson said with an eye toward the Kelseyville Knights, defending league champions. “Obviously it’s going to be a big game in the NCL I between two good programs.”
In other softball action Friday:
Kelseyville 10, St. Helena 2
At Kelseyville, winning pitcher Allison Bryant tossed a four-hitter and went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs as the Kelseyville Knights opened their title defense with a league win over St. Helena.
Kelseyville (1-0, 4-1) scored four times in the bottom of the first to go up 4-1, but the Saints hung tough until the bottom of the fifth when the Knights, leading 4-2, put the game out of reach with a five-run rally. Grace Davidson delivered a two-run single to help Kelseyville break things open. She drove in four runs overall.
Paige Bour’s two-run single was the key hit in Kelseyville’s four-run first.
“We’re not a dominating team right now but I think we can be that team,” Kelseyville coach Phil Psalmonds said. “Our defense is really good. Aly isn’t overpowering, but she throws strikes and we make the plays behind her.”
If Kelseyville’s power game at the plate begins to materialize as it did last season during league play, the Knights could really hit their stride, according to Psalmonds.
Kelseyville won’t have long to find out how it matches up against the cream of the NCL I. The Knights travel to Lower Lake on Tuesday and are home Thursday to play Cloverdale.
Middletown 13, Fort Bragg 6
At Fort Bragg, Abby Murphy went 4-for-5 with a double, three RBIs and five stolen bases as the Middletown Mustangs pulled away with a seven-run fifth inning to beat the Fort Bragg Timberwolves in the NCL I opener for both teams.
Winning pitcher Savannah McLaughlin struggled early but allowed just one run over the final four innings. She allowed six hits, struck out three and walked one in her first start of the season.
“She was really consistent from the fourth inning on,” Middletown coach Bob Gunion said.
The Mustangs (1-0, 2-3) erased a 3-1 deficit with a five-run top of the third. Fort Bragg answered with two runs in the bottom of the third to close to 6-5. Middletown batted around in the fifth to go up 13-5.
Sydney Frank went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Mustangs, Aly Ferguson went 2-for-3 with six stolen bases, Jessica Zell went 2-for-5, and Gracie Armstrong went 1-for-2 with a triple and a RBI.
“I’m very happy with how we played,” Gunion said of the Mustangs’ first league game.
The Mustangs are home Tuesday to play Clear Lake (1-1).
