LAKEPORT — Brittany Rumfelt carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and also drove in two runs with a ground-rule double to propel the Clear Lake Cardinals past the St. Helena Saints 12-2 in the North Central League I South softball opener for both teams on Tuesday in Lakeport.
The game was called in the bottom of the fifth after Candy Diener”s two-run single gave Clear Lake a 10-run lead.
Rumfelt improved to 13-0 for the 16-0 Cardinals, who face their toughest test of the season today when they travel to Petaluma to play the St. Vincent Mustangs, who return most of their starters from last season, including pitcher Shawna Hettrich.
“The girls are looking forward to it,” Clear Lake coach Gary Pickle said of today”s early-season NCL I South showdown. “It”s turned into a pretty good rivalry and it”s always tough to play on the road.”
Clear Lake had a 10-0 lead after three innings against St. Helena, scoring four times in the bottom of the second and adding six runs in the third.
Rumfelt carried her no-hitter into the top of the fifth. The Saints” lead-off hitter bounced a grounder up the middle that shortstop Kaila Sterbank made a diving stop on, but her throw arrived just a split second too late.
“A lot of shortstops don”t even get to that ball,” Pickle said of his sophomore infielder, who made another outstanding play in the top of the fourth to keep Rumfelt”s no-hitter intact.
“Their girl hit the ball deep into the hole and she made a sliding, backhanded stop, got up and threw the girl out at first base,” Pickle said. “It was a great play.”
Sterbank also went 1-for-2 with a RBI.
Rumfelt struck out nine and didn”t allow an earned run. She was backed by an 11-hit attack that featured two hits apiece from Diener, Haley Sanderson and Samantha Espinoza.
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