UPPER LAKE — Forget about a letdown.
Coming off a big 4-1 win over a first-place St. Vincent club on Friday, the Clear Lake Cardinals took care of business Tuesday against the last-place Upper Lake Cougars, rolling to an 18-3 victory that puts coach Gary Pickle”s squad on the verge of capturing a share of the North Central League I South softball pennant.
If the Cardinals (6-1, 17-4) win Thursday in St. Helena, they”ll be co-champions along with St. Vincent (7-1), which closed out its league schedule on Tuesday with a 6-1 win over St. Helena.
Clear Lake scored in every inning of the five-inning game, banging out 18 hits. Mori Jordan went 4-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs and Kaila Sterbank went 2-for-2, including a three-run home run into the right-center field gap in the top of the third. It was her Lake County-leading third home run of the season.
Winning pitcher Emily Wingler worked all five innings, striking out four and walking none.
Hannah Hoffeditz and Katie Reynolds had two hits apiece for the Cardinals. Reynolds also doubled and drove in two runs.
Lisa Irwin and Jackie Lovrin tripled for the Cougars (0-7, 5-12). Losing pitcher Emily Knispel went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
The Cougars close out their season Thursday in Cloverdale.
In other softball action Tuesday:
Lower Lake 12, Willits 8
At Lower Lake, Dar-lena White went 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs and Christine Powers went 2-for-4 with two RBIs as the Lower Lake Trojans outslugged the Willits Wolverines in NCL I North action.
Both teams are 2-5 in the North standings. Lower Lake improved to 6-14 overall.
The Trojans built on a 5-3 lead with a six-run fourth inning that featured two-run singles by White and Ashley Willard. White also tripled home a run in the sixth.
Winning pitcher Kristen Garcia tossed a four-hitter, striking out eight and walking four.
“She got some key strikeouts at opportune times,” Lower Lake coach Tim Sherrell said.
Willits did most of its damage with a five-run fifth, but Garcia settled down over the final two innings.
“She stayed tough those last two innings and that was big,” Sherrell said.
Lower Lake concludes its season today in Middletown.
Baseball
Lower Lake 6, Willits 1
At Lower Lake, Jesus Fonseca carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and settled for a three-hitter as the Lower Lake Trojans beat the Willits Wolverines for their first NCL I North victory.
Both teams are 1-6 in league play with one game remaining.
“Best game I”ve seen them play in two years,” Lower Lake coach Chris Emberson said.
Lower Lake, now 4-15 overall, executed on all four of its sacrifice bunts and was able to score runners from third base with less than two outs three times in four chances.
“That”s the kind of baseball we have to play to win,” Emberson said.
Fonseca, who also went 3-for-4 with a double, triple, RBI and run scored, carried a 4-0 lead and a no-hitter into the top of the sixth. He retired the first batter before surrendering his first hit. Willits went on to score its only run later in the inning.
“He was real efficient with his pitches,” Emberson said. “He had great command.”
Lower Lake picked up its final two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Joe Riggs went 3-for-3 for Lower Lake with a RBI and scored twice. Stephen Whitcomb went 1-for-1 with two RBIs.
Clear Lake 10, Upper Lake 5
At Upper Lake, Corey Dillon went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and scored three times as the Clear Lake Cardinals rallied from an early 4-1 deficit to beat the Upper Lake Cougars in NCL I South action.
Clear Lake improved to 3-4 in league and 12-8-1 overall. Upper Lake is 0-7 and 3-17.
Upper Lake took a 4-3 lead into the top of the fifth. With two outs and the bases empty, the Cougars dropped a foul popup that should have been the third out of the inning. Clear Lake went on to score four times.
Brian Edwards work-ed the first six innings to pick up the victory. He struck out six and walked two. Devin Callen, working in relief, took the loss.
Brandon Bills went 2-for-4 with a double and two stolen bases for Upper Lake.
Edwards, Christian Coddington and Tyler Beets had two hits apiece for Clear Lake.
