FORT BRAGG — Fort Bragg pushed across nine runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to snap a 5-5 tie and went on to beat the Upper Lake Cougars 16-6 in a non-league softball game on Monday afternoon in Fort Bragg.
It was the season opener for Upper Lake (0-1).
Fort Bragg (2-0) jumped on losing pitcher Katlyn Minnis for five runs in the bottom of the first inning, but the Cougars rallied to tie the score with four runs in the top of the third and another in the fourth.
“We were jittery in that first inning, but Katlyn settled down and our defense stepped up the next couple of innings,” Upper Lake coach Nick Williamson said.
The Timberwolves broke the game open with their nine-run fourth, taking advantage of a high number of walks issued by Minnis and a handful of Upper Lake errors.
“The fourth inning was just a struggle,” Williamson said.
After Upper Lake scratched out a run in the top of the sixth to make it 14-6, Fort Bragg scored twice in the bottom of the inning, at which point the game was called because of the 10-run rule.
Minnis walked 13 in 5 1/3 innings. She also had two of Upper Lake’s six hits and drove in two runs.
Other Cougars with hits were Colene Pulido, Cheyanne Obedoza, Angel O’Sullivan and Maria Wade.
Weather permitting, the Cougars are scheduled to host Anderson Valley on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. They are home Friday to play Esparto at 3:30 p.m.
