NAPA — Middletown High School softball suffered a second straight grueling loss Tuesday as the Justin-Siena Braves rallied from a 7-0 deficit to beat the Mustangs 9-8 in non-league action at Napa, snapping an 8-all tie with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
On Saturday, Middletown (1-4) squandered a 12-2 lead in the fifth inning of what eventually turned into a 17-16 eight-inning loss to St. Bernard’s in the final round of the Arcata Tournament.
“It’s still a great experience for the girls to go through a close game like this,” Middletown head coach Bob Gunion said with an eye toward Middletown’s upcoming North Central League I schedule, which begins March 25. “These aren’t league games. I was proud of the effort. We’re growing as a team.”
Middletown scored seven times before Justin-Siena got to the plate in the bottom of the first. Cadence Henry smacked a two-run homer as part of the Mustangs’ seven-run first, but Justin-Siena rallied with four runs in the second and three more in the fourth to tie the game. The Braves pushed ahead 8-7 in the bottom of the fifth before Middletown pulled even in the top of the seventh when pinch-runner Pailey Shook scored on a Justin-Siena error.
The Braves walked off with the victory in the bottom half of the inning on a one-out RBI single to right field. There was a play at the plate but the runner was safe.
Losing pitcher Emma Hansen didn’t help Middletown’s cause with nine walks. The senior also had six strikeouts.
“Our pitching consistency wasn’t what it needed to be,” Gunion said of Hansen’s control problems.
Hansen and Jaidyn Brown each had a hit and a RBI.
Middletown hosts Ukiah on March 23 at 4 p.m.
