LAKEPORT — After losing their first game of the season, a 4-2 setback to John Swett of Crockett in the first game of a non-league doubleheader on Saturday in Lakeport, the Clear Lake Cardinals rallied from five runs down to win the second game 9-8.
Clear Lake (8-1) wiped out a 5-0 John Swett lead in the nightcap with a five-run bottom of the second inning. The Cardinals also erased 6-5 and 7-6 deficits, finally pulling even on a Jason Edwards sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth that knotted the score at 8.
What proved to be the winning run scored in the bottom of the sixth when Tyler Beets walked with the bases loaded. Although Beets didn”t have a hit in game two, he reached base in all four of his plate appearances — walking three times and getting hit by a pitch — and also scored twice.
Steven Edwards and Ryan Richardson each added a hit and two RBIs as the Cardinals rallied for a victory for the second day in a row. They came back from a 5-3 deficit on Friday to beat Middletown 7-5.
Jason Edwards earned the victory in relief of starter Ryan Grady.
In game one, John Swett scored twice in each of the first two innings to open up a 4-1 lead and that was enough to hand the Cardinals their first loss of the season after seven straight victories.
Clear Lake committed all three of its errors in the first two innings, which resulted in three unearned runs.
“We played very well after that,” Clear Lake coach Paul Larrea said.
Beets, making his season debut on the mound, worked all seven innings, striking out seven and walking one.
“He did a great job for his first time out there,” Larrea said.
Richardson went 1-for-3 with a RBI for the Cardinals, who were limited to five hits.
Clear Lake”s Jaime Lopez was ejected in the second game after tagging up and scoring from third base on a sacrifice fly. He slid home and made contact with the John Swett catcher, resulting in an ejection for “malicious contact,” according to Larrea, who has filed a protest.
“He didn”t do anything wrong,” Larrea said.
Clear Lake is scheduled to host Fort Bragg today at 4 p.m., weather permitting.
