LAKEPORT — The mercury was soaring and the players were dropping on Tuesday as the Clear Lake Cardinals beat the Kelseyville Knights 11-1 in six innings in a North Central League I softball game at Lakeport.
The hot weather wasn”t the source of injuries to players on both teams. Kelseyville catcher Kenzie Gould sustained an ankle injury while retreating to first base in the top of the first inning.
“She said she heard something pop,” Kelseyville coach Taryn Kysely said of Gould”s injury, which came after she reached base on a single.
Clear Lake”s Savannah Dekeyer ran into Kelseyville”s first baseman while running out a ball in the second inning, chipping a tooth and cutting her lip in the process. Dekeyser stayed in the game and hit an inside-the-park home run during a three-run Clear Lake fourth inning.
The Cardinals (10-0 league, 15-2 overall) broke open a scoreless game with five runs in the bottom of the second. The Knights cut it to 5-1 in the top of the fourth, but Clear Lake answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning. A three-run sixth ended the game because of the 10-run rule.
Winning pitcher Emily Wingler scattered three hits, struck out seven and walked two. Losing pitcher Sabrina Lyon also went the distance, striking out two and walking six.
“Lyon did a nice job,” Pickle said. “She kind of kept us off-balance there for a while.”
Vanessa Tullos went 2-for-3 for Clear Lake and Heather White went 1-for-4 with two RBI.
In other softball action Tuesday:
Lower Lake 15, Willits 5
At Lower Lake, Adrina Miller hit a three-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the sixth as the Lower Lake Trojans 10-runned the Willits Wolverines to guarantee themselves a winning season in 2012.
Lower Lake improved to 5-7 in league and 12-9 overall with two games remaining.
The Trojans had a 12-5 lead with two outs and two runners on base in the sixth when Miller launched a deep drive to right field, her third home run of the season.
“It was crushed,” Lower Lake coach Chris Emberson said.
Lower Lake scored in every inning against the Wolverines, pushing ahead to stay during a five-run third that gave the Trojans an 8-3 lead.
Isabelle Azbill went 3-for-4 with a double, triple and RBI to pace Lower Lake at the plate. Nicole Spooner went 2-for-4 with a RBI and scored three times.
Winning pitcher Shelbie Harris tossed a four-hitter, striking out five and allowing only two earned runs.
“Shelbie”s changeup was really working for her today,” Emberson said. “Five strikeouts is big for her.”
Cloverdale 13, Middletown 3
At Cloverdale, eight more Middletown errors made it a long day for the Mustangs in a five-inning NCL I loss to the Cloverdale Eagles.
“The kids played hard, we just can”t shake it,” Middletown coach Bob Cummesky said of the error bug that has plagued his squad all season. “I”ve never seen it last this long.”
Hettie Egger went 2-for-3 with a double for Middletown (2-8, 5-14) and Roshell Dunlap went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Losing pitcher Kaitlyn Swank worked the first four inning. Only two of the 11 runs she allowed were earned.
Rincon Valley Christian 12, Upper Lake 5
At Upper Lake, Rincon Valley Christian pitcher Elise McAllister struck out 12 Upper Lake batters, most of them on changeups, and the Eagles beat the Cougars in NCL II action.
“She has a wicked change and we were swinging at it and missing,” Upper Lake coach Kelly Coburn said.
Rincon Valley staked McAllister to a big lead early with three runs in the first and four more in the second for a 7-0 lead.
Amber McQueen went 2-for-3 with a triple and a RBI for Upper Lake (2-4, 5-6). Kat Edmonds went 2-for-3 with a double and a RBI and Shayla Wyman went 1-for-3 with two RBI.
