Marcks strikes out 15, Cougars win 7-0

Upper Lake earns shot at No. 1 seed St. Helena in quarterfinals

Nya Marcks certainly took the pressure off of Upper Lake’s defense Wednesday afternoon as the Upper Lake Cougars shut out the St. Vincent Mustangs 7-0 in the opening round of the North Coast Section Division 5 softball playoffs at Upper Lake High School.

That’ll happen when your ace strikes out 15 batters, including the side in the third and seventh innings as the North Central League II champions improved to 9-2 and punched their ticket for the quarterfinal round on Saturday night when they travel to St. Helena to play the No. 1-seeded Saints (20-4) at 7 p.m.

“Nya pitched lights out today,” Upper

Lake head coach Heather Wurm said of her junior right-hander. “She got ahead with her fastball and used her riseball, changeup and fastball to strike them out.”

Marcks allowed only three hits and walked only two. St. Vincent (8-14) did manage to load the bases against her with two outs in the sixth inning, but she ended the threat with a called third strike for the third out.

While the ninth-seeded Cougars hosted the game because of their status as league champions, the higherseeded Mustangs (No. 8) were actually the home team on the scoreboard

Not that it mattered much to Upper Lake. The Cougars scored single runs in the first and second innings to go up 2-0 and that was more than enough support for Marcks. Upper Lake provided her with a bigger cushion after scoring three times in the sixth and twice in the seventh.

Upper Lake had only five hits but the Cougars made the most of six St. Vincent errors. Ruby Wurm, who caught Marcks’ shutout, led the offense by going 2-for-4 with a RBI. Maddy Young went 1-for-3, stole four bases and scored three times while Ashlyn and Tristin Rhodes also had hits. Nathaly Velsaco drove in a run.

“I was happy that we came ready to play and that we played up (in competition),” Wurm said.

Upper Lake’s next opponent, St. Helena, won the NCL I champion

ship with a 14-0 record. The Saints play on an artificial surface (infield and outfield), but the Cougars have a bit of experience with the field because they beat St. Helena’s junior varsity squad there earlier this month.

Though taking on the No. 1 seed is a huge challenge for her team, Wurm said the Cougars are looking forward to the matchup.

“We’re excited to be playing under the lights and to playing against a good team,” she said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRETT BISHOP Nya Marcks (12) and head coach Heather Wurm exchange high-fives as Paris Klier (17) looks on after Marcks struck out her 15th batter of the game to end Upper Lake’s 7-0 victory over St. Vincent on Wednesday afternoon in the first round of the North Coast Section Division 5playoffs at Upper Lake. Marcks pitched a three-hitter.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRETT BISHOP Nya Marcks struck out the side twice while recording 15strikeouts in Upper Lake’s 7-0 playoff win over St. Vincent on Wednesday afternoon in Upper Lake.