Lower Lake walks off with 2-1 victory in eight innings while Clear Lake routs Middletown
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LAKEPORT >> After falling behind in the count 0-2, AJ Myer singled home teammate Luke Campbell from third base with two outs in the bottom of the eighth for a walk-off 2-1 victory over the Cloverdale Eagles on Friday afternoon in Lower Lake.
Lower Lake’s game-winning rally happened in a hurry, according to head coach Mike Huffman.
“Our first two guys struck out,” Huffman said.
Cleanup hitter Zach Jones kept the inning alive by drawing a walk. He stole second and third before trotting home on Myer’s single into right-center field.
“Walk-off win, baby,” Huffman said as the Trojans (2-3 league, 2-7 overall) won their second game in a row. “We played a really clean game, the kind of baseball you want to play. We’re just starting to come together.”
Apart from scoring the winning run, Jones pitched seven solid innings to get the game into extra innings. He was nothing short of spectacular, allowing one hit and one earned run while striking out nine and walking three, but a high pitch count (111) ended his day.
Luke Campbell replaced him on the mound to start the eighth and needed only seven pitches to retire the side.
“He’s always coming into games with two guys on base and he has to pitch out of the stretch,” Huffman said. “He could wind up this time. He did really well.”
Cloverdale (1-5, 3-7) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Lower Lake tied it with a run in the third.
Lower Lake’s six hits were divided between three players – Myer (2-for-4), Campbell (2-for-4) and Eric Alonso (2-for-3).
The Trojans have a busy week ahead. They host Kelseyville on Tuesday and play a doubleheader at Fort Bragg on Friday.
In other NCL I varsity baseball action Friday:
Clear Lake 11, Middletown 1 (5 inn.)
At Middletown, Clear Lake’s Sawyer Smith pitched a one-hitter, allowing a triple to the first Middletown batter he faced, but shut down the Mustangs the rest of the way at Wes Martin Field.
Sawyer struck out 10 and walked one during a 74-pitch complete game.
“He pitched his butt off,” Clear Lake head coach Brian Horne said. “Sawyer’s got like four different pitches. He has a splitter/changeup that he throws in practice that is wicked.”
After Clear Lake (4-2, 9-4) staked Sawyer to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Hayden Xavier led off the bottom of the inning with a triple and eventually scored to make it 3-1.
The Cardinals continued to pull away after that, scoring twice in the top of the second, one in the fourth and five times in the fifth. When the Mustangs (2-4, 4-9-1) failed to score in their half of the fifth, the game was stopped because of the 10-run mercy rule.
While Horne had every reason to be happy with Clear Lake’s effort – the Cardinals didn’t commit an error and banged out 13 hits – Middletown head coach Kyle Buckhorn wasn’t happy at all with the Mustangs’ day on the diamond.
“We basically had a JV team today,” Buckhorn said. “We were missing a couple of players, including my only seniors, and standout (Jon) Hawkins.”
Add Buckhorn, “We need to get our bats going. Ten strikeouts in five innings is embarrassing.”
Clear Lake batters struck out just once while hitting the ball up and down the lineup. Johnny Gonzales led the way, going 4-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored. He also stole two bases.
“He’s been on fire all year,” Horne said of Gonzales. “He never tries to do too much. He’s a good all-around player and a great shortstop.”
Ryken Villanueva went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs while Jesse Hayes went 2-for-2, walked twice, scored three times, drove in a run and stole four bases. David Cruz added two more hits and three stolen bases.
Clear Lake’s other hits went to Smith (1-for-3, RBI) and AJ Bruch (1-for-2, 2 RBIs). Bruch stole another three bases.
“We’ve been cleaning up some things,” Horne said of Clear Lake’s overall game. “The kids keep getting better and better.”
Clear Lake visits St. Helena on Tuesday while Middletown hosts Cloverdale.
St. Helena 11, Upper Lake 1 (5 inn.)
At Upper Lake, St. Helena improved to 5-2 in the league standings with a victory over the Upper Lake Cougars (0-7, 3-10), who were in the game until the Saints broke it open with a six-run top of the fifth.
“They’re a good hitting ballclub,” Upper Lake head coach Don Meri said of the Saints. “They had three left-handed hitters and a left-handed pitcher. That’s the first left-hander we’ve seen all year.”
Upper Lake was not without scoring chances as the Cougars loaded the bases in the third and fifth innings but could manage just one run, that in the bottom of the fifth.
“When we made plays, we did good,” Meri said.
George Rahmer pitched a complete game, striking out two and walking one. He also had one of the Cougars’ four hits. Tyler Collins went 2-for-3 and Jace Kelley went 1-for-3.
Upper Lake is on the road Tuesday to play Fort Bragg.
