UKIAH — Fortuna High School’s softball team broke open a 2-0 game after three innings with a seven-run top of the fourth Wednesday afternoon while beating the Lower Lake Trojans 11-1 in five innings in the first game of a split doubleheader at Mendocino College in Ukiah.
Clear Lake shut out Fortuna 2-0 in the second half of the doubleheader (see related story).
“They were like hitting machines out there,” Lower Lake head coach Tara Downey said of the Huskies (8-9). “They were crushing the ball at our outfielders.”
Lower Lake scored its only run in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 9-1 game. Fortuna pushed across two more runs in the fifth to go up 11-1. The game was called because of the 10-run mercy rule after the Trojans (3-10) didn’t score in the bottom of the inning.
Losing pitcher Keeley Parks and Jamiya Lee Ayers had Lower Lake’s only hits. Parks worked the first three innings, striking out five and walking two. Kaitlyn Klein finished up, striking out one and walking none over the final two innings.
Mendocino College has hosted a number of high school games this season. Former Clear Lake head coach Doug Wingler is the softball coach at Mendocino where the Eagles recently wrapped up their season.
“It’s gorgeous,” Downey said of Mendocino College’s field, which is situated in the hills west of Ukiah. “The girls had fun.”
The Trojans resume North Central League I play Friday at home against Middletown at 4 p.m.
