UPPER LAKE — Lexi Wurm tossed a complete-game one-hitter and drove in five runs with a double and a home run as the Upper Lake High School softball team, idle for almost two weeks, returned to the playing field with a 18-2 North Central League II victory over the Tomales Braves on Tuesday afternoon in Upper Lake.
Upper Lake (2-0 league, 7-6 overall) spotted Tomales a 1-0 lead that lasted only until the Cougars batted in the bottom of the first. They scored five times, including a Wurm three-run home run to straightaway center field.
“She had a real good day,” Upper Lake head coach Nick Williamson said of the senior.
Wurm struck out eight and walked one.
The Cougars scored in every at-bat, adding two runs in the second, five more in the third and six in the fourth.
Tristin Rhodes went 4-for-4 with a double and three RBIs for Upper Lake, which had 11 hits in all. Nya Marcks went 2-for-2 with a RBI and Nathaly Velasco (1-for-3) doubled and drove in three runs. Zoey Petrie (1-for-2) also had a double.
“Once we shook out the cobwebs from spring break we did fine,” Williamson said of the Cougars’ first game this month.
The Cougars host Laytonville on Friday at 4 p.m. although rain is in the forecast the next three days.
In other softball action Tuesday:
Fort Bragg 11, Middletown 1 (5 inn.)
At Fort Bragg, Middletown scored the first run that Fort Bragg pitcher Cassiti Baroni has allowed in league play this season, but the Timberwolves ended up winning in five innings after they broke open a close game with an eight-run bottom of the fifth, an inning during which the Mustangs committed six of their 10 errors on the day.
“It was a really tight game up to the fifth,” Middletown head coach Bob Gunion said. “We had turned two double plays and had made only a couple of errors up to that point. We just fell apart. The score was not indicative of how tough we played Fort Bragg.”
Jaidyn Brown, Middletown’s leadoff hitter, drew the only two walks issued by Baroni, who went on to strike out seven. One of those walks led off the game. Brown stole second, moved to third base on Lia Crudo’s single — the only hit Baroni allowed — and stole home to give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead.
Fort Bragg scored twice in the bottom half of the inning to go ahead 2-1. The Timberwolves, now 5-0 in the NCL I standings, added another run in the second for a 3-1 lead.
Losing pitcher Shaylynn Sims allowed six hits, struck out three and walked only one.
“I kind of felt bad for Shay because she pitched really well,” Gunion said.
Middletown is now 3-3 in league play and 4-7 overall. Weather permitting the Mustangs host the league’s other 5-0 team — the St. Helena Saints — on Friday at 4 p.m. Rain is in the forecast.
Fort Bragg and St. Helena (5-0) are scheduled to play a Monday doubleheader in Fort Bragg.
Lower Lake 18, Willits 6
At Willits, in a battle of teams looking for their first league win, the Lower Lake Trojans (1-5, 2-6) scored in every at-bat of their five-inning victory over the Willits Wolverines (0-5).
“It was a good game,” Lower Lake assistant coach Jeremy Mock said. “We had an entirely new outfield.”
Freshman Norma Trimble, up from the junior varsity squad, received the game ball after going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and making a couple of nice catches in center field, including one that turned into a double play as she doubled off the runner at first base.
“I’m pretty sure she’s going to stay up (with the varsity) for the remainder of the season,” Mock said.
Aliana Barnes doubled and drove in four runs for the Trojans, Rebecca Theodorou also doubled and had three RBIs, and Jenna Smith and Mackenzie Smith added two hits apiece. One of White’s hits was a triple.
Lower Lake is scheduled to host Kelseyville on Friday to close out the first half of league play, but rain is in the forecast.
St. Helena 12, Kelseyville 0 (5 inn.)
At St. Helena, freshman starting pitcher Tahlia Smith and junior reliever Aribella Farrell combined on a perfect game as the St. Helena Saints improved to 5-0 in the NCL I standings with a five-inning victory over the Kelseyville Knights.
Smith retired all 12 batters she faced, nine on strikeouts, and Farrell struck out the side in the top of the fifth to complete the perfect outing.
Kelseyville put only three balls into the play, including a lineout to first base off the bat of Cali Schnabl.
St. Helena scored all of its runs in the first three innings, getting three in the first, three in the second and six in the third.
Losing pitcher Jayden Paulich struck out four and walked four.
“We had some people missing and I had to move some people around,” Kelseyville head coach Julie Jackson said. “We’re flat right now and we don’t have that drive. I’m waiting for someone to take charge.”
Kelseyville falls to 1-5 in league and 1-11 overall.
The Knights are scheduled to close out the first half of league play Friday in Lower Lake against the Trojans (1-5), but rain is in the forecast for the remainder of the week.
