LAKEPORT — Not until a six-run sixth inning could the Clear Lake Cardinals rest easy in their hard-fought 10-2 victory over the Fort Bragg Timberwolves in the quarterfinal round of the North Coast Section Division IV softball playoffs on Saturday in Lakeport.
Although the final score might suggest otherwise, the game was far from a laugher as the No. 7-seeded Timberwolves (17-8) made the No. 2-seeded Cardinals sweat for the better part of 5 1/2 innings.
“This was a game I was concerned about because we were expected to win,” Clear Lake coach Gary Pickle said of his Cardinals (21-4), who are home Wednesday at 5 p.m. to play No. 3 Berean Christian of Walnut Creek in the semifinals. “A team like that comes in here pretty loose. They”ve got nothing to lose. I thought we played a little tight, especially early on.”
It was the second meeting between the two teams in 10 days. Clear Lake won 17-7 in six innings on May 20 in Lakeport, but even in that game the Timberwolves threw a scare at the Cardinals, cutting an 8-1 deficit to 8-7.
But there was one big difference in the second meeting … Clear Lake senior pitcher Liz Sanderson.
“Liz pitched a lot better today than the first time we played,” Pickle said.
Indeed.
Sanderson pitched a four-hitter, struck out four and walked none to register her 12th win in 14 decisions this season. In the May 20 meeting, she allowed seven runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings and also walked two.
“It helps having a little bit of experience,” Pickle said of Sanderson”s third straight year pitching in the postseason.
Clear Lake staked Sand-erson to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on RBI singles by Mari Jordan and Katie Reynolds. That lead lasted until the top of the third when the Timberwolves tied the game. Starla Beltran, the No. 9 hitter for the Timberwolves, started things with a booming one-out triple to the left-field fence, and Hillary Davenport promptly singled her home. Sabrina Rowan bounced into a force play before losing pitcher Cassidy Lowe ripped a deep line drive to left field that bounced in and out of the glove of outfielder Morgan Psalmonds for a two-base error, Rowan scoring all the way from first base to make it 2-2.
Clear Lake did regain the lead in the bottom of the inning on a RBI single by Corinne McKinney, who was behind in the count 1-2 when she punched the ball into center field to score Vanessa Tullos from second. The Cardinals had a chance for more in the inning with runners at the corners and only out, but pinch-runner Marsha”na Sugimoto left the bag too early at first base and was called out. Heather White”s fly ball to left field ended the inning.
It remained a 3-2 game until the fifth when back-to-back one-out doubles by Tullos (3-for-3) and Rebecca Baker (2-for-4) gave the Cardinals a tad more breathing room at 4-2.
Clear Lake finally broke it open in the bottom of the sixth, scoring six times after two were out in the inning. White worked a leadoff walk from Lowe, was sacrificed to second base by Savannah Dekeyser, and moved up to third on Psalmonds” slap comebacker to Lowe, who threw on to first for the out.
Rylie Gabehart (5-for-5 in the May 20 game against Fort Bragg) followed with a single into right field to make it 5-2. She advanced to second on a passed ball and went to third when Jordan reached on an error by Beltran at third base. Tullos doubled home both runners to give the Cardinals a 7-2 cushion, and another run scored when Rebecca Baker”s fly ball into center field was dropped for an error. Reynolds singled home another run and McKinney”s double down the left-field line made it 10-2.
“I”m really happy for Corinne,” Pickle said of his senior designated hitter. “She”s been in a little bit of a slump but is the first one in the batting cage every day. She”s been taking extra batting practice.”
The six-run rally was a big relief for Pickle and his assistants, who didn”t cherish the thought of taking a 4-2 lead into the seventh.
“I thought it was important not to go in the seventh with a small lead,” Pickle said. “Anything can happen.”
Sanderson made sure it didn”t, retiring the Timberwolves in order in the seventh.
While Clear Lake”s veterans generally came through in the clutch Saturday, the game was something of an adventure for Clear Lake”s freshmen, who had to battle a case of the butterflies as well as the Timberwolves.
That”s nothing new, according to Pickle, who has seen it many times before.
“Rookies start trying to do the things they don”t normally do,” he said.
With the playoff field now down to the top four seeds — No. 1 St. Patrick/St. Vincent (23-2) hosts No. 4 Cloverdale (18-4) in the other semifinal on Wednesday — Pickle said it”s anyone”s tournament.
“We”re now at the stage where there are only really strong teams left,” Pickle said. “The next one is anybody”s game, but we do get to play at home.”
Semifinal winners meet either Friday or Saturday in the section championship game to be held at a location to be determined.
Playoff notes: Tullos went 6-for-7 with two doubles, a home run and six RBIs in two games against Fort Bragg this season. “When it”s a big game, that”s when she concentrates the best,” Pickle said of his sophomore second baseman. “She did that in the playoffs last year.” … The game drew a large crowd and many of the fans elected to sit behind the right- and the right-center field fence to avoid paying the $9 the North Coast Section charges to attend playoff games. “That”s a lot,” Pickle said. “I don”t blame them.” Another fan wondered aloud why the section didn”t charge $4 so that more fans would actually enter the roped-off area at the field because some money is better than none ? sophomore pitcher Emily Wingler is likely to get the start against Berean Christian on Wednesday, according to Pickle. Wingler”s last start was a 4-2 victory over at Cloverdale. Wingler is 9-2 on the season.
