Crudo goes deep again in 21-3win

Middletown roughs up Clear Lake a second time

LAKEPORT >> Tyler Crudo’s insidethe-park homer, his third home run in two games, was one of 15 Middletown hits on Tuesday afternoon as the Mustangs worked over the Clear Lake Cardinals 21-3 in North Central League I varsity baseball action in Lakeport.

The game was halted after five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.

It’s the second time this season the Mustangs (2-1 league, 6-3 overall) have 10-runned Clear Lake. They also beat the Cardinals 14-3 in non-league action March 19 at Middletown.

Still smarting from a 12-7 league loss at home Friday to Cloverdale, the Mustangs bounced back with a big day at the plate, racking up 15 hits.

“We don’t lose two in a row,” Middletown head coach Jon Hoogendoorn said. “The kids were fired up and Clear Lake ran into a juggernaut today.”

Clear Lake pitching issued 11 walks, making Middletown’s job even easier, according to head coach Ed Pepper.

“Our pitching was a little rough,” he said. “Maddox (Albaum) couldn’t find the strike zone.”

Albaum, the Clear Lake starter, lasted only 1 2/3 innings, allowing nine runs with one strikeout and six walks.

The Cardinals (2-1 league, 3-6 overall) actually had a 2-0 lead after one inning, but a 10-run Middletown top of the second swung all the momentum the Mustangs’ way.

“Middletown played very well and deserved the win,” Pepper said. “We hung our heads after that. It was all downhill after that.”

Clear Lake got one of those runs back in the bottom of the second, but Middletown’s bats stayed hot the rest of the way and the Mustangs added five runs in the third, another in the fourth, and five more in the fifth.

“We were expecting (Drake) Smart to pitch,” Hoogendoorn said of Clear Lake’s ace.

Crudo’s two-run shot to the right-center field gap in the top of the fifth gives him three home runs on the season. He homered twice in the loss to Cloverdale. Cole Ketchum led the Mustangs with three hits and also had two RBIs. Hunter Blair went 3-for-3 and scored twice, Will Aden went 2-for-4 with a long double and two RBIs, and Luke Hoogendoorn went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

“Aden hit it (to dead center,” Hoogendoorn said of Aden’s double. “In any other place that’s a home run.”

Aden already has five home runs this season.

Winning pitcher Dax Green, the first of three Middletown pitchers, worked two innings on

the mound before giving way to the bullpen. Ketchum pitched the third and fourth, and Zach Dubois finished up.

Middletown hits the road to play Willits (0-3) while Clear Lake draws another tough road assignment at St. Helena in Friday action. Both games start at 4 p.m.