UPPER LAKE — After spotting Esparto an early 3-0 lead, the Upper Lake Cougars came storming back to beat the Trojans 14-4 in a non-league softball game played in chilly conditions Friday afternoon at Upper Lake High School.
“It was pretty chilly to start and once the sun went behind the clouds, it just got colder,” Upper Lake coach Nick Williamson said.
Not even the winter-like weather could cool of Upper Lake’s bats for long. The Cougars struck for five runs in the bottom of the second to push in front to stay at 5-3. Colene Pulido’s two-run triple to right-center field was the big blow in the inning and Hailey Reams added a double.
“We kind of got rolling and we really didn’t slow down,” Williamson said.
The Cougars (1-1) came right back with four more runs in the third to go up 9-3. The game was called in the bottom of the sixth after Upper Lake scored twice to go up 14-4, at which point the 10-run rule came into play.
Given the low number of practices his team has had outside because of several weeks of wet weather, Williamson said he was impressed with the amount of improvement the Cougars made after losing 16-6 on Monday in their season opener at Fort Bragg.
“We showed good improvement and tightened up some things,” he said. “There’s still more we have to do.”
Molly McCabe went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs to spark Upper Lake’s 11-hit attack. Winning pitcher Katlyn Minnis went 2-for-5 with a RBI while Maria Wade went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Minnis pitched all six innings, striking out six and walking 11.
Upper Lake has three games scheduled next week beginning with a road game Tuesday at Laytonville. The Cougars return home Wednesday to play Kelseyville and are back on the road next Friday to take on Potter Valley.
In other softball action Friday:
Fortuna 16, Middletown 6
At Middletown, the Fortuna Huskies knocked Middletown starting pitcher Savannah McLaughlin out of the game after only two innings and went on to 10-run the Mustangs in a five-inning non-league game.
Middletown’s defense didn’t do much to help out either of its pitchers — McLaughlin or reliever Emma Hansen — according to Middletown coach Bob Gunion.
“We were not supporting our pitchers like we should,” he said of Middletown’s nine errors in the field. “We’re not helping them.”
Fortuna led 8-4 after two innings before putting the game out of reach with a six-run third.
Makaili Brown went 2-for-3 with a double and triple to lead Middletown’s offense while Alle Vierra and Lily Martin each went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
“It’s going to be a season full of learning experiences,” Gunion said of his mostly green squad, which tries again for its first win Tuesday at Healdsburg, weather permitting.
