LOWER LAKE — The Lower Lake Trojans scored seven times in the bottom of the fifth inning to erase a 4-3 deficit before going on to beat the Kelseyville Knights 10-5 in the North Central League I and season finale for both of these softball teams Friday afternoon in Lower Lake.
Lower Lake (4-10, 6-10) closes the 2021 campaign with a two-game winning streak. Kelseyville finishes 5-9 in the NCL I standings and 5-10 overall under first-year head coach Julie Jackson. While Jackson will return next year, the Trojans are in the market for a new head coach as Brett Doud is stepping down after two seasons so that he can spend more time running his business.
“I think they’ll be a strong team as long as they stay disciplined and make grades,” Doud said of a young Trojans squad.
Kayla Doud, Brett’s daughter and one of only two seniors on Lower Lake’s roster this season, went 2-for-4 in her final high school game.
Winning pitcher Jessica Hernandez surrendered four runs in the top of the third as the Knights went ahead 4-1, but she allowed only one run after that while finishing with a complete-game five-hitter that included six strikeouts and one walk.
Hernandez also went 3-for-4 with a RBI single during the Trojans’ seven-run fifth. Sam Edrich (3-for-4) delivered the key hit of that inning, a two-run triple.
“We also had a lot of walks that forced in runs,” Doud said.
The Trojans banged out 14 hits in all. Kylie Hartmann (2-for-4) drove in two runs and Nayeli Santana (2-for-4) had a double and a RBI.
While Doud expected the Trojans to be more a factor in the NCL I race this season, the team struggled after opening league play 1-1, both games going eight innings, including a loss to league champion St. Helena. They closed the season with back-to-back wins over Willits and Kelseyville.
“It’s better than nothing,” Doud said.
Kelseyville statistics were not reported.
In other softball action Friday:
St. Helena 6, Middletown 5
At Middletown, Middletown couldn’t quite come back from a 6-1 deficit against league champion St. Helena in the NCL I and season finale for both teams.
The Mustangs (5-9 league, 6-9 overall) certainly made it exciting down the stretch, scoring single runs in the fourth and fifth innings and two more in the sixth to make it a one-run ballgame.
“I’m really proud of the girls,” Middletown head coach Bob Gunion said of the Mustangs’ bid to upset St. Helena (13-1). “It was an exciting game, we played a lot better than we had in our last two games.”
Middletown senior Lily Martin closed out her high school career by going 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs while Lia Crudo went 2-for-3.
Both teams struggled in the field. The Saints committed eight errors to Middletown’s seven.
Losing pitcher Emma Hansen left after 1 1/3 innings. Reliever Maddie Ferguson, also playing in her final game, pitched the final 5 2/3 with seven strikeouts and one walk. She also had one of the Mustangs’ seven hits. Hansen added a double and a RBI.
