FORESTVILLE — Rachel Wingler didn”t drive in all of Clear Lake”s runs on Thursday afternoon against the El Molino Lions in a non-league softball game at Forestville, but the sophomore pitcher did account for a cool half-dozen RBIs in the Cardinals” 8-1 victory.
Wingler homered for the second time this season, a grand slam in the top of the first inning that went against the wind and cleared the fence in center field, to propel Clear Lake to a seventh straight victory. She added a two-run single in the top of the second, part of another four-run inning by the Cardinals, who went up 8-1.
“We hit the ball real well, showed patience at the plate and hit some good pitches early in the game,” Clear Lake coach Gary Pickle said.
Clear Lake (11-3) finished with 10 hits, including two each by Wingler, Aliza Atkins and Hannah Norwood.
Wingler surrendered an earned run in the bottom of the first, an inning set up by a leadoff double, but settled down after that, according to Pickle. She scattered four hits, struck out six and walked only one.
Clear Lake”s defense thwarted a couple of potential El Molino rallies late in the game. In the bottom of the sixth, the Lions had a runner at first with one out when center fielder Norwood robbed an El Molino batter of a hit with a shoestring catch that she turned into a double play by firing a strike to first base to double off the runner there. In the bottom of the seventh, first baseman Madison Wynacht made a nice backhand stab on a grounder that appeared ticketed for right field.
“The defense played well all the way through,” Pickle said of an errorless game by the Cardinals.
Clear Lake has a rare Friday off before returning to action Tuesday at Willits.
NOTES: Wingler”s home run ties her for the team lead with Jordan Chapin and is the fifth homer by a Cardinal this year compared to only one last year. Three have come on the road and two at home … Atkins leads the Cardinals with 15 hits, one more than Wingler … Wingler”s six RBIs move her into a tie with Lower Lake”s Shelbie Harris for the Lake County lead with 16.
