WILLITS — McKenzie Smith went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs as the Lower Lake Trojans pounded out 15 hits while beating the Willits Wolverines 11-1 in a North Central League I softball game Tuesday afternoon at Willits.
The game was stopped after five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.
“We finally hit the ball,” Lower Lake head coach Brett Doud said. “And we played pretty good defense, not many errors.”
Winning pitcher Jessica Hernandez, Kylie Hartmann and Nayeli Santana all went 2-for-3 with two RBIs as Lower Lake improved to 3-10 in league play and 5-10 overall. Kayal Doud added two more hits and a RBI and Jacey Celli went 2-for-3.
Lower Lake built a 10-0 lead with a run in the top of the first, two more in the second and seven runs in the top of the third. Willits’ lone run came on a solo homer in the bottom of the third, one of only four hits allowed by Hernandez, who struck out five and walked only one.
“We’ve been struggling at bat for most of the season,” Doud said. “It was nice to get all of those hits for a change.”
Lower Lake pushed its lead to double digits with a run in the top of the fifth. The game was halted after Willits failed to score in the bottom half.
The Trojans close out their season at home Friday afternoon against Kelseyville (5-8) at 4 p.m..
“Hopefully we can get that one and go out on a winning streak,” Doud said.
In other softball action Tuesday:
Fort Bragg 7, Middletown 1
At Fort Bragg, Middletown’s struggles at the plate continued as they managed just a first-inning run and three total hits in a league loss to the Fort Bragg Timberwolves.
“We aren’t hitting the ball that well lately,” Middletown head coach Bob Gunion said.
Middletown’s 1-0 lead lasted only until Fort Bragg (9-4) came to bat in the bottom of the first. The Timberwolves scored twice against losing pitcher Emma Hansen and that was all they needed.
Fort Bragg added three more runs in the third inning to go up 5-1.
Hailee Hubbard went 1-for-2 with a triple for Middletown while Hansen and Maddi Bishop added singles. Tori Tacla drove in the Mustangs’ lone run.
Hansen worked the first six innings before giving way to reliever Maddie Ferguson. Hansen struck out three and walked five.
The Mustangs, now 5-8 in league and 6-8 overall, close out their season Friday with a home game against league champion St. Helena (12-1) at 4 p.m.
St. Helena 14, K’ville 0 (5 inn.)
At St. Helena, needing a victory to wrap up the undisputed league championship, the St. Helena Saints didn’t waste any time in their five-inning victory against the Kelseyville Knights.
St. Helena (12-1) scored seven times in the bottom of the first inning, aided by a bases-loaded popup into shallow left field that fell between Kelseyville shortstop MJ Boardman and left fielder Kasandra Villalobos.
“All three runners scored,” Kelseyville head coach Julie Jackson said.
“They should have been up 2-0 after the first inning, instead they end up scoring seven,” Jackson said.
It didn’t get any better for the Knights, who struggled at the plate. Myranda Williams and Lilly Wiser had their only hits. Kelseyville also struck out 12 times.
“Unfortunately we didn’t produce at the plate,” Jackson said.
St. Helena added two runs in the third and five in the fourth against losing pitcher Jo Hellgren, who struck out two, walked seven and hit two.
The Knights wrap up their season Friday in Lower Lake at 4 p.m.
