LOWER LAKE — Jessica Hernandez struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter Monday afternoon, but the Lower Lake High School softball team stilerl ended up on the short end of a 9-3 decision to the Maxwell Panthers in non-league softball action at Lower Lake.
“We were happy with Jessica,” Lower Lake assistant coach Jeremy Mock said.
The Trojans (1-1) actually did quite well given it was only their second game of the season while the Panthers improved to 10-3. Lower Lake scored a run in the bottom of the first to take the early lead, but Maxwell struck for four runs in the top of the second and never looked back.
“It was our first true game,” Mock said. “The team we played Friday (Technology) had only eight players.”
Maxwell had a 9-1 lead before Lower Lake scored its final two runs in the bottom of the sixth when center fielder Sam Edrich tripled home a run and came around to score herself on an overthrow at third base.
Lower Lake returns a mostly veteran squad from the 2021 season when the Trojans went 4-10 in the North Central League I standings and 6-10 overall. Returning All-Leaguers are Hernandez, a senior, and sophomore infielder Rebecca Theodorou.
“They’re pretty much all returners,” Mock said of the Trojans’ starting nine.
Lower Lake opens its 2022 league schedule Friday at home against Middletown (1-3) at 4 p.m.
In other Monday action:
Baseball
Lower Lake 8, Maxwell 3
At Lower Lake, Lower Lake High School defeated Maxwell in non-league action for its first win of the season. Other game details as well as game statistics were not reported.
Lower Lake (1-1) hosts Middletown in the North Central League I opener for both teams Friday at 4 p.m.
