UKIAH — After beating the Eureka junior varsity squad 13-3 earlier in the day, the Clear Lake Cardinals failed to protect a 6-5 lead going to the final inning and fell 7-6 to the Fort Bragg Timerwolves in the consolation championship game of the Ukiah Softball Tournament on Saturday in Ukiah.
The Fort Bragg game went only five innings because of a tournament time rule, but the Cardinals, who beat the Timberwolves 9-0 last week in Lakeport, came away scratching their heads after allowing two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Losing pitcher Liz Sanderson walked the leadoff batter and then allowed a double, putting runners at second and third. She then got exactly what she wanted, a comebacker to the mound.
“She had the girl (between third and home) dead to rights, but she just couldn”t seem to throw it home,” Clear Lake coach Gary Pickle said.
After hesitating, Sanderson threw late to first and the tying run scored as the runner at second advanced to third. A popup to shortstop kept the runners in place, but the next Fort Bragg hitter knocked a flyball into center field that Mori Jordan caught. She made a strong throw home but it was off line and the winning run scored.
“The throw to the plate beat the runner but it was on the wrong side of the plate,” Pickle said.
“If you think about it, she (Sanderson) pitched pretty well in that situation (comebacker, popup, flyout),” Pickle said. “She just made a mental error (on the comebacker) and young players are going to do that.”
Sanderson, a sophomore, had a 4-0 lead to work with after two innings. Fort Bragg rallied with five runs in the bottom of the third to go ahead 5-4. Clear Lake jumped back in front with two runs in the top of the fourth.
“One error and a bunch of mental mistakes,” Pickle said of Fort Bragg”s five-run outburst in the third. “The thing I thought would happen earlier in the season with young players throwing to the wrong base is happening now, which kind of surprises me.”
Clear Lake leadoff hitter Kaila Sterbank went 1-for-1 with two walks and scored three times. In three tournament games, she made nine plate appearances and went 3-for-3 with six walks.
“She”s doing what a leadoff batter is supposed to do,” Pickle said.
Julie Jackson went 2-for-2 with three RBIs.
Earlier in the day against the Eureka JVs, Rylie Gabehart tossed a five-inning four-hitter and Candy Diener went 3-for-4 with a triple and four RBIs as the Cardinals (7-3) snapped a two-game losing streak. Sterbank went 2-for-2 with a double, RBI and three runs and Rebecca Baker went 2-for-3.
Clear Lake plays at Kelseyville today at 4 p.m.
