CROCKETT — Chad Elliston pitched a no-hitter in his first varsity start and the Clear Lake Cardinals beat John Swett 9-2 to salvage a split of their season-opening non-league doubleheader on Saturday in Crockett.
John Swett won the first game 6-5 despite getting only three hits, one of which was a bases-loaded triple during a four-run first inning.
“For a first effort it was really good,” Clear Lake coach Paul Larrea said of his team”s season debut. “Four of our kids had only a week of practice to get ready following the end of basketball season. They did really well.”
One of those four, Tanner Mansell, went 2-for-4 in each game. Another, center fielder Steven Edwards, preserved Elliston”s no-hitter with a sliding catch in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Clear Lake (1-1) snapped a 2-2 tie in game two with a four-run rally in the top of the fifth that began with two outs and the bases empty. Mansell singled, stole second and moved to third on a passed ball. Following walks to Edwards and Tyler Beets to load the bases, Jaime Lopez cleared them with a three-run double to make it 5-2. Lopez later scored on a passed ball.
Beets, who went 1-for-2 in the nightcap, also drove in two runs.
In game one, Beets struck out 11 in five innings only to get tagged with the loss. He allowed all five John Swett runs, only one of which was earned.
Clear Lake rallied from a 5-0 deficit to tie the game on Beets” sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth. John Swett pushed ahead to stay 6-5 when Beets balked home a run in the bottom of the inning.
Larrea said he was hoping to get more of his pitchers into the doubleheader but Elliston”s no-hit bid in game two made that impossible.
“You can”t take out a guy who is pitching a no-hitter,” Larrea said.
Elliston, a junior up from the junior varsity squad, struck out five, walked three and did not allow an earned run.
“He had three pitches going,” Larrea said. “He”s not a hard thrower, but he locates his pitches real well.”
Clear Lake committed two errors in each game.
“We played good defensively and I think we”re going to be a pretty good defensive team,” Larrea said. “I think we”re going to have solid pitching as well.”
The Cardinals are off until March 11 when they host Fortuna in a non-league game.
