FORT BRAGG >> Clear Lake rallied with four runs in the top of the seventh inning after St. Vincent had pushed ahead 7-4 with four runs in the bottom of the sixth to stun the Mustangs 8-7 in the championship game of the Fort Bragg Tournament on Saturday in Fort Bragg.
Clear Lake, now 13-0 on the season, advanced to the title game with a 3-1 victory over Miramonte earlier Saturday in the semifinals.
It was the second tournament game Clear Lake won in its final at-bat. On Friday, the Cardinals scored five times in the top of the seventh to beat St. Bernard 8-4 in opening-round action.
Clear Lake’s spark in the top of the seventh proved to be none other than tournament MVP Cole Brodnansky, who homered to deep left-center field with one out to cut St. Vincent’s lead to 7-5. Dillon Williams was then hit by a pitch and Matt Heller, the winning pitcher in relief, doubled him over to third base. Tyler Manning followed with a line-drive double down the left-field line to tie the score at 7. He advanced to third when Brandon Coakley grounded out to second base.
The final clutch hit of the seventh was provided by Garrett McKinney, who banged a hard infield single that ricocheted off the first baseman’s glove to the second baseman. In a sprint to the bag, McKinney beat the St. Vincent pitcher, who was covering, as Manning scored what proved to be the winning run.
Heller worked around a one-out walk to strike out the side in the bottom of the seventh.
“Cole’s home run sparked us,” Clear Lake coach Zane Jensen said. “Everything we did after was a result of that big hit. It really got us going.”
Williams and Jordan Chana finished with two hits apiece.
“It was one of the craziest games I’ve ever been a part of,” Jensen said.
Teammate Williams and Jake Egger joined Brodnansky on the All-Tournament team.
In the semifinals earlier Saturday, Chana and Heller combined on a two-hitter as the Cardinals knocked off Miramonte. Chana, 5-0, worked the first five innings and allowed one run on two hits. Heller finished for his third saves in as many chances.
Clear Lake scored single runs in the first and second innings for a 2-0 lead. Miramonte closed to 2-1 in the top of the third. The Cardinals picked up an insurance run in the fifth.
The Cardinals finished with eight hits, including two apiece by Williams (2-for-3) and Strate (2-for-2), who had a double. Egger, Brodnansky and Williams drove in Clear Lake’s runs.
“All three games were a test for us,” Jensen said of the tournament. “I think we’re battle tested now.”
Clear Lake resumes its North Central League I schedule today at home against Fort Bragg at 4 p.m. The Cardinals enter play 4-0 in the league standings and with a one-game lead over Willits (3-1). Clear Lake is home again on Friday to play Cloverdale.
