LOWER LAKE — The Clear Lake Cardinals usually don”t need much help to win, but they got it on Tuesday.
The Lower Lake Trojans committed a season-high 14 errors en route to falling 18-0 to the Cardinals in a North Central League I interlock softball game at Lower Lake.
“We didn”t play much defense,” Lower Lake coach Tim Sherrell said. “We gave them a lot of stuff.”
Lower Lake committed four errors and also walked two Clear Lake batters in the top of the first inning before recording an out. The Cardinals batted around and scored seven times.
Clear Lake (12-4) continued adding to its lead after that, picking up a run in the second, four in the third, two in the fourth and four in the fifth before the game was stopped because of the 10-run rule.
Lower Lake (4-11) picked up only two hits against winning pitcher Liz Sanderson, who struck out four and walked none in four innings of work. Kristen Garcia, who struck out five and walked seven, took the loss.
Morgan Psalmonds went 2-for-3 with a RBI, Rylie Gabehart went 2-for-4 and Vanessa Tullos went 2-for-5 with a RBI for the Cardinals.
Christine Powers, Isabell Azbill and Katelyn Spooner had the only hits for Lower Lake, who were without first baseman Mirella Valencia (sprained ankle).
Clear Lake travels to Cloverdale on Thursday in NCL I South action. The winner will take over sole possession of first place in the league standings.
Lower Lake travels to Fort Bragg on Friday at 4 p.m. in NCL I North action.
In other action:
Colusa 4, K”ville 1
Colusa 7, K”ville 1
At Colusa, in a non-league doubleheader on Saturday, the Kelseyville Knights couldn”t beat the state-ranked Colusa Redskins (No. 5 in Division V) but did push them to the full seven innings in both games.
“They hung with the big dogs,” Kelseyville coach Greg Giusti said of his players. “I”m really please with the way we played a state-ranked team.”
Colusa (24-1) is led by junior Tiffany Friel, among the state”s leaders in strikeouts this season. She went the distance in both games, striking out 12 and walking none while allowing two hits in the opener, and striking out 14 and walking one while throwing a six-hitter in the nightcap against Kelseyville”s younger players for the most part.
Giusti said he was surprised Friel started the second game.
“They”re pretty concerned with her stats, so I think that has something to do with it,” Giusti said of Friel”s strikeout total, which surpassed 300 for the season in the second game.
“The kid”s amazing,” Giusti said. “She throws a rise, a curve, fastball and an off-speed pitch. “Her rise breaks about three feet from the plate. It”s an amazing pitch.”
Kelseyville”s two hits in the first game ? a double by Ashley Mueller and Skyler Olsen”s RBI single ? came in the top of the fourth and accounted for the Knights” lone run.
In the second game, losing pitcher Sabrina Lyon went 3-for-3 and Alex Rowe went 2-for-3 with a double and a RBI. She knocked in the game”s first run in the top of the second to give the Knights a short-lived lead.
Kelseyville”s North Central League I North game scheduled for Tuesday in Fort Bragg was postponed by rain and has been rescheduled for Thursday in Fort Bragg.
The Knights will enter play 3-0 in North standings to the Timberwolves” 2-0.
