PETALUMA — Thanks to the Clear Lake Cardinals, and especially junior varsity call-up Corey Dillon, the North Central League I South varsity baseball race is a bonafide too-close-to-call affair after the Cardinals” 10-8 upset victory over the previously undefeated St. Vincent Mustangs on Wednesday in Petaluma.
With two days remaining in the regular season — today and Friday — the NCL I South race shapes up like this: St. Vincent is 5-1 with games remaining against Cloverdale (5-2) today and St. Helena (5-2) on Friday.
“It was a real fun game,” Clear Lake coach Brian Figg said of the back-and-forth contest which featured four lead changes in the first 4 ? innings.
Clear Lake rallied with four runs in the top of the fifth — its second straight four-run inning — to move ahead 10-8.
Connor McCrea reached on an error leading off the top of the fifth, Dillon singled and Ricky Wood followed with an RBI single to make it 8-7. With one out, J.J. Demanett delivered a two-run single to put the Cardinals in front 9-8 and Brian Milhaupt”s RBI single later in the inning made it 10-8.
Figg had to play musical chairs with his starting lineup after Freddy Olloqui, who was scheduled to start on the mound against St. Vincent, sustained a broken ankle while wakeboarding.
As a result of the injury, Nate Velez moved from behind the plate to pitcher, outfielder Ricky Wood moved behind the plate and Dillon, called up from the junior varsity team, took over in center field.
“He had an absolutely fabulous game,” Figg said of Dillon. “To step up and do that (three hits in four at-bats) is incredible.”
Dillon led off two innings with singles, scored twice and also stole a base.
Milhaupt also had three hits, including a double, as well as three RBIs. And Wood went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs.
Velez worked the first four innings for the victory and Roman Rose shut out St. Vincent over the final three innings to earn the save.
Clear Lake is 2-5 in the South standings and 4-9 overall. The Cardinals close out their season with a home game Friday against Upper Lake at 4 p.m.
