SANTA ROSA — After giving up the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Clear Lake Cardinals rallied for five runs in the top of the seventh to beat the Montgomery Vikings 8-3 in a non-league varsity softball game on Thursday in Santa Rosa.
It was the regular-season finale for the Cardinals (19-2), the undefeated North Central League I South champions. Clear Lake”s next stop is the North Coast Section Division IV playoffs early next week. They”ll find out on Sunday where they”ve been seeded in the playoff field — most likely No. 2 — and who they”ll be playing in either the first round or, if they get a bye, in the quarterfinal round.
Thursday”s win allowed the Cardinals to avenge one of their two losses — they dropped a 6-1 decision to Montgomery (14-10) last month in the Ukiah Tournament.
“It was a good game for us to get ready for the playoffs,” Clear Lake coach Gary Pickle said.
Playing a Montgomery team that was at full strength, the Cardinals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Vikings” Amanda Cuccaro, who didn”t play the first time the teams met, smacked a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to tie it.
“We heard that you needed to pitch her high and tight and Emily (Wingler) did,” Pickle said. “The pitch she hit out was high and inside, but she was still able to yank it out (to left-center field).”
The score remained tied at 2 until the top of the sixth when Heather White”s two-out RBI single made it 3-2. Montgomery pulled even at 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth when Megan Stroud singled home a run.
“That was the only mistake Emily made,” Pickle said of a riseball Wingler left up in the strike zone against Stroud.
The Cardinals strung together five of their 12 hits in the five-run seventh. Kelcie Reynolds” RBI single put Clear Lake in front to stay at 4-3, Morgan Psalmonds reached on an error to score another run, Rebecca Baker followed with a two-run single to make it 7-3, and Coree Alexander”s RBI single capped the scoring.
Wingler finished with a five-hitter, struck out two and walked one while recording her 19th win of the season.
Psalmonds, Baker and Marsha”na Sug-imoto had two hits apiece for the Cardinals.
St. Patrick/St. Vincent of Vallejo (22-2) is expected to draw the No. 1 seed in this year”s Division IV field, according to Pickle. Clear Lake lost to St. Patrick/St. Vincent 2-1 in the 2009 section championship game, that after beating the Bruins 2-1 in the 2007 finals to cap a 27-0 season.
