Softball Game Preview: Middletown Mustangs vs. Lower Lake Trojans

The Middletown Mustangs will head out to take on the Lower Lake Trojans at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Middletown has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with five straight losses, while Lower Lake will come in with three straight wins.

On Thursday, Middletown didn't have quite enough to beat Kelseyville and fell 5-4.

Meanwhile, Lower Lake hadn't done well against Fort Bragg recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Trojans had just enough and edged out the Timberwolves 2-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Trojans have posted since March 22nd.

Mariah Bal spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Lower Lake saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kierstyn Lambert, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run. Another was Mia Garcia, who got on base in two of her three plate appearances with one run and one RBI.

Lower Lake hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.

Middletown's defeat dropped their record down to 5-9. As for Lower Lake, their win bumped their record up to 7-9.

Middletown took their victory against Lower Lake in their previous meeting on April 4th by a conclusive 9-1 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.