McCutcheon’s single in second inning is lone hit for Cougars in league opener
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ST. HELENA >> Travis McCutcheon’s leadoff single in the top of the second inning prevented the St. Helena Saints from throwing a no-hitter against the Upper Lake Cougars in the North Central League I varsity baseball opener for both teams Tuesday afternoon in St. Helena.
St. Helena won 10-0 in five innings.
McCutcheon singled into center field after a 10-plus-pitch at-bat. He hit another hard shot up the middle in his next at-bat, but the St. Helena pitcher made a nice play to glove the ball and throw him out.
“It was a great at-bat,” Upper Lake head coach Don Meri said of McCutcheon’s first plate appearance as he fought off pitch after pitch before driving the ball into center field.
St. Helena (1-0 league, 6-5 overall) broke the game open with a seven-run bottom of the second inning, sending 13 batters to the plate while increasing its lead to 8-0.
“St. Helena looks good,” Meri said of the Saints. “They know what they’re dong out there. They made the plays.”
Upper Lake (0-1, 2-5), which was missing two starters, committed only two errors.
“We’re making baby steps,” Meri said of his team’s progression toward being competitive.
Upper Lake’s coach said the Cougars need to put the bat on the ball more often as they struck out nine times in the five-inning game.
While there weren’t a ton of bright spots for the Cougars, Meri said the relief pitching of Carlos Narvaes was one of them.
“He pitched the last 2 2/3 innings and he pitched well (including a 1-2-3 third inning),” Meri said.
Upper Lake returns home Friday to play St. Helena at 4 p.m.