MIDDLETOWN — Clear Lake High School pitcher Emily Wingler allowed only one hit after the first inning on Friday afternoon as the Cardinals shut out the Middletown Mustangs 12-0 in a five-inning non-league softball game at Middletown.
Wingler settled for a three-hitter while striking out five and walking one. She allowed a pair of singles in the bottom of the first inning but stranded Middletown runners at first and second by striking out each of the next two hitters.
The Cardinals (8-0) scored in every inning, including a five-run fourth that pushed their lead to 10-0.
Wingler was equally efficient at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs and scoring twice. Clear Lake pounded out 12 hits, including a long double by Heather White (2-for-4, RBI), who didn”t homer for the first time in four games.
“Clear Lake plays two steps quicker than we do,” Middletown coach Bob Cummesky said. “They”re a step quicker on offense and a step quicker on defense. It showed.”
Clear Lake received at least one hit from seven different players, something that wasn”t lost on Cummesky.
“They hit the ball up and down their lineup,” Cummesky said. “They push and push and push you and they always take the extra base. I told my girls that”s the team we want to be.”
Savannah Dekeyser went 2-for-3 with a RBI and two runs for the Cardinals, who open their North Central League I South schedule Tuesday in Cloverdale. Kelcie Reynolds went 1-for-2 with two RBIs.
Maria Castaldo, Roshell Dunlap and Cheyanne Horvath had Middletown”s three hits.
Losing pitcher Kaitlyn Swank worked the first 3 2/3 innings, allowing 10 runs.
In other softball action Friday:
Kelseyville 14, Upper Lake 9
At Upper Lake, Kelseyville used an eight-run top of the first inning to beat the Upper Lake Cougars and notch its first win of the season.
“We”re still struggling,” Upper Lake coach Kelly Coburn said of the Cougars” sixth straight loss since a two-game winning streak to open the season. “We made too many errors. Most of them were in the first inning.”
Upper Lake (2-6) got as close as 9-5 before Kelseyville pushed its lead back out to 14-5.
Kyra Rudnick went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs for Kelseyville and Stacy Ogden went 3-for-5 with a double. Kenzie Gould (1-for-5) drove in two runs
Winning pitcher Sabrina Lyon went the distance, allowing just four hits, striking out seven and walking three.
Kate Irwin went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs for Upper Lake while teammate Vanessa Hanson, the losing pitcher, hit a two-run home run to right-center field in the bottom of the fourth. She finished with three RBIs.
Cloverdale 18, Lower Lake 1
At Cloverdale, Shadae White”s RBI single in the top of the second cut Cloverdale”s lead to 2-1, but the Eagles used a nine-run third and a seven-run fourth to rout the Lower Lake Trojans in five innings.
Savannah Koch and Katelyn Spooner had Lower Lake”s other hits.
Kristen Garcia made her first start of the season for Lower Lake.
“I”m pleased with the way she pitched for her first start,” Lower Lake coach Tim Sherrell.
Baseball
Winters 4, Middletown 3
At Winters, the Middletown Mustangs were just a strike away from a 3-2 win but Winters rallied for the victory in a second-round game at the Winters Tournament.
A hit batsman with the bases loaded followed by a RBI single lifted Winters to the win.
Middletown starting pitcher Saul Preciado worked into the seventh before giving way to reliever Bryan Holt, who led the Middletown offense by going 3-for-3 with a RBI and a run.
“Hats off to Saul Preciado,” Middletown coach Mitch Tucker said. “He really threw the ball well.”
RBI singles by Holt and Predicado in the top of the sixth gave Middletown (5-5) a 3-2 lead.
Cloverdale 7, Lower Lake 2
At Cloverdale, Cloverdale scored seven times in the bottom of the first inning to beat the Lower Lake Trojans in non-league action.
Jesus Fonseca worked 5 2/3 innings of shutout relief for the Trojans (2-5), striking out two. Josh Benfante started and took the loss.
Shawn Bigelow had two of the Trojans” eight hits.
JV baseball
Middletown 10, Kelseyville 5
At Kelseyville, Graham Brown went 4-for-5 with a double and a triple and Raphael Roy-Labelle added two hits and two RBIs as the Middletown Mustangs improved to 5-3 with a non-league victory over the Kelseyville Knights.
Brown also picked up the win, pitching the first three innings.
Jack Hamilton went 3-for-4 with a triple for Middletown, now 5-3 overall.
