KELSEYVILLE — Missed chances cost the Kelseyville Knights the opportunity to upset Clear Lake on Monday in a North Central League I interlock softball game at Kelseyville that featured a triple play turned by the visiting Cardinals.
In a pitcher”s duel between Clear Lake”s Emily Wingler and Kelseyville”s Jillian Allen, Wingler picked up the only run she would need in the top of the fourth inning when Rylie Gabehart scored from third base on a grounder off the bat of Vanessa Tullos that ricocheted off the Kelseyville shortstop”s glove.
The Knights twice put runners at first and second with no outs — in the third and the sixth innings — only to come away empty each time.
In the third, Bitsy Rowe was hit by a Wingler pitch leading off the inning. Kenzie Gould followed with a single and Sarah Johnson, the Knights” leadoff hitter, smacked a hard liner headed toward right field. Tullos, the Cardinals” second baseman, gloved the ball and threw on to first base to double off Gould, and first baseman Rylie Gabehart alertly threw on to second base where shortstop Heather White forced Rowe to complete the triple play.
“Both runners were moving when the ball was hit,” Kelseyville coach Greg Giusti said. “When it happened my first thought was, ?Wow, did I just see a triple play?” I had the best seat in the house to watch it.”
“It (Johnson”s liner) looked like it was going by her (Tullos),” Pickle said. “When she caught it, she made the smart play of going to first because that runner was closer to the bag than the runner at second. It happened so quick.”
Pickle, now in his 18th season as the Cardinals” coach, said he can”t remember seeing another triple play.
“I don”t know if I”ve had one of those before, not in softball,” Pickle said.
“It was crisp, my hat is off to them,” Giusti said. “They kept their heads in it and knew where they were going with the ball.”
Clear Lake (13-4) scored in its next at-bat. Gabehart led off with a walk and Mari Jordan singled her around to third base. Jordan was out at second trying for a double on the play. Tullos then grounded the ball off the Kelseyville shortstop for an error as Gabehart raced home.
Kelseyville (5-12) threatened again in the sixth. Once again it was Rowe (catcher”s interference) and Gould (single) reaching base with no outs. Johnson fouled off two sacrifice bunt attempts before striking out. Both runners advanced on Kyra Rudnick”s bunt, but Skyler Olsen grounded out to end the inning.
Wingler worked a 1-2-3 seventh. She finished the game with six strikeouts and a walk and allowed just the two Gould singles. Allen scattered four hits, struck out two and walked one.
“She moved the ball in and out and got it in on our hands all day,” Pickle said of Allen. “We popped the ball up a lot. She pitched a good game.”
“Both pitchers threw the ball extremely well,” Giusti said.
“My hat”s off to them,” Pickle said of the Knights. “We feel very fortunate to get out of there with a win.”
“It was a good game, obviously we were playing to win and we had our chances,” Giusti said. “We were making the plays and they were making the plays. It was just a well-played high school softball game.”
