LAKEPORT >> Luke Holt was Middletown’s closer a year ago. He relived that role on Friday even though he pitched all seven innings in the Mustangs’ 4-2 North Central League I varsity baseball victory over the Clear Lake Cardinals at Lakeport.
After Middletown had pushed its lead to 4-2 in the top of the seventh on Jack Bliss’ second RBI double of the game, Clear Lake loaded the bases with one out against Holt, who promptly wiggled out of the jam with a strikeout and a groundout that almost turned into an infield RBI single off the bat of Jason Garrison, the Cardinals’ No. 6 hitter.
“He hit a high chopper over the mound to their second baseman (Aiden Skinner),” Clear Lake assistant coach John Garrison said. “He had to make the play and throw in the same motion and he did. It was a great play. Jason was out by a half-step at first.”
Holt’s closer mentality definitely served him well in the seventh against Clear Lake, according to Middletown head coach Jeff Mielke. “He’s been in that situation before, so it wasn’t new for him. We decided to make him a starter this season and we’ve been working with him to extend his innings.”
Holt’s pitch count ended up in the mid-90s, but a good portion of those pitches came during Clear Lake’s two-run first inning and in the down-to-the-wire seventh. In between, he pretty much had his way with the Cardinals’ batters.
Middletown (6-2 league, 12-3 overall) grabbed a 1-0 lead on a run-scoring balk by losing pitcher Darius Ford in the top of the first. In the bottom half of the inning, Clear Lake (3-6, 6-9) tied the score on a Chris White RBI double, then pulled ahead on a run-scoring error.
The Mustangs came right back with a run in the top of the second on a Skinner sacrifice fly, then pushed ahead to stay on a Bliss RBI double in the top of the third.
Ford kept the Cardinals in the game during his four-inning stint and reliever Preston Jones allowed just one hit and one run over the final three innings. He struck out the side in the top of the sixth.
“It thought both of our guys pitched pretty well,” Garrison said.
Clear Lake finished with six hits to Middletown’s three. Both Ford and White went 2-for-4 for the Cardinals. Besides Bliss’ two doubles, Skinner had the only other Mustangs hit.
Both teams are home on Tuesday – Clear Lake against Willits and Middletown against St. Helena.
