LAKEPORT >> Thirteen innings after it started, the Clear Lake Cardinals got the job done.
In a pitcher’s duel the likes of which you won’t see very often, Rachel Wingler outueled Cloverdale’s Teanne Edens and the Cardinals ended a five-game losing streak to the Eagles, two-time defending North Central League I champions, with a 2-1 victory in 13 innings on Friday afternoon in Lakeport.
It was the first league loss of the season for Cloverdale (4-1) and Clear Lake’s fifth straight league win. Since losing 2-0 to the Eagles on March 24 in Cloverdale, the Cardinals haven’t blinked.
Clear Lake won the game with no outs in the bottom of the 13th. After Desiree Garcia led off the inning with a single and moved to second when the left fielder misplayed the hit for an error, Mina Werner dropped down a bunt that the Cloverdale third baseman threw away at first base, Garica scoring.
Cloverdale (4-1) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on Bailey Creager’s leadoff home run. Wingler then struck out the side, part of an 18-strikeout performance by the junior.
“Rachel kept her composure the entire way, even when me made errors behind her,” Pickle said.
Clear Lake tied the game at 1 in the bottom of the fourth when Edens was called for an illegal pitch, the equivalent of a balk in baseball, that allowed Emily Psalmonds, who had walked to open the inning, to score from third base. Edens finished with 17 strikeouts and walked five.
Both teams kept the tie intact through 12 innings with some outstanding defense. Cloverdale made run-saving plays in the 11th and 12th. Clear Lake came up with a big play in the top of the ninth when Edens led off with a single off the base of the fence in center field. Trying for a double, she was thrown out as shortstop Aliza Atkins applied the tag after taking center fielder Hannah Norwood’s strong throw.
“When a team has your number, it’s hard to get over the hump,” Pickle said of Cloverdale’s five-game winning streak against Clear Lake entering play. “The win was a huge momentum boost for us.”
The Eagles finished with eight hits to Clear Lake’s seven. Alicia Ledesma went 2-for-6 for Clear Lake.
In other softball games Friday:
Lower Lake 10
Fort Bragg 0
At Lower Lake, Shelbie Harris carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and settled for a one-hitter as the Lower Lake Trojans (4-0, 12-2) moved into sole possession of first place in the NCL I standings with a five-inning victory over the Fort Bragg Timberwolves.
Harris allowed only two baserunners, issuing a leadoff walk in the fourth and giving up a leadoff single in the fifth. Only one Fort Bragg runner made it as far as third base.
The Trojans banged out 12 hits, six of them for extra bases. Emma Diener led the way, going 3-for-4 with a RBI. Harris had a pair of two-run triples and Azuree Meza went 2-for-3 with two doubles.
Middletown 10
Willits 1
At Middletown, Hannah Flynn smacked a two-run home run and Olivia Glosser added a solo shot to back the one-hit pitching of Renee Edwards as the Middletown Mustangs knocked off the Willits Wolverines.
Middletown (3-3, 8-6) snapped a 1-1 tie with a six-run bottom of the third, two of those runs scoring on Flynn’s drive to right-center field. Glosser homered in the fifth to right field.
Edwards lost her no-hitter with one out in the top of the seventh. She struck out 12, walked none and hit two. Willits’ run in the top of the third was unearned. Edwards helped own cause at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a triple and a RBI.
Kelseyville 19
St. Helena 5
At St. Helena, the Kelseyville Knights banged out a season-best 17 hits, eight of them doubles, while routing the St. Helena Saints in six innings.
Riley Goff starred on offense and defense for the Knights (4-4, 6-8). She went 3-for-5 at the plate with three doubles, four RBIs and three runs scored. In the field, she turned an unassisted double play to end the game in the bottom of the sixth.
Baseball
Lower Lake 4
Fort Bragg 1
At Lower Lake, Tony Jones pitched a five-hitter and the Lower Lake Trojans snapped a 45-game league losing streak with a victory over the Fort Bragg Timberwolves.
Lower Lake (1-7, 4-12) scored all four of its runs after two were out in the bottom of the second inning to go up 4-0. Consecutive hits by Ryan McCarthy (RBI single), Anthony Williams (two-run double) and Ian Stiles (RBI single) did the damage.
Jones went all seven innings for the victory, striking out three and walking none.
“They played a good ballgame today and I’m happy for them,” Lower Lake coach John McCarthy said.
Kelseyville 16
St. Helena 4
At St. Helena, Noah Lyndall pitched a five-inning three-hitter and struck out seven as the Kelseyville Knights (5-2, 9-8) had their second straight big game at the plate, pounding out 14 hits in rout of St. Helena.
Kelseyville took a 16-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth.
Robert McLean led the Knights’ hit parade by going 4-for-4 with two RBIs. Brandon Huber, Sambhava Baird and Logan Barrick added two hits apiece. Barrick also drove in four runs. Nick Pfann (1-for-2) had three RBIs.
Clear Lake 3
Cloverdale 2
At Lakeport, Tyler Manning’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly to deep left field with no outs in the bottom of the eighth kept Clear Lake perfect in league and on the season as the Cardinals edged the Cloverdale Eagles.
“We dodged another bullet,” Clear Lake coach Zane Jensen said.
Clear Lake improved to 6-0 in league and 15-0 overall.
Trailing 2-0 after Cloverdale scored both of its runs in the top of the fourth, Clear Lake tied the game on solo home runs by Cole Brodnansky to left-center field and Matt Heller to straightaway center in the bottom of the fifth. Brodnansky (2-for-3) homered with one out and Heller with two.
Brodnansky’s leadoff double in the eighth and back-to-back walks to Dillon Williams (intentional) and Heller (unintentional) loaded the bases for Manning.
Heller recorded the final two outs in the top of the eighth to get the win in relief. Jordan Chana went the first 7 1/3, scattering seven hits, striking out seven and walking two.
Willits 7
Middletown 6
At Middletown, Willits scored five times in the top of the seventh to go ahead 7-3 and then held on to beat the Middletown Mustangs, who used four pitchers in the top of the seventh.
Tyler Holt worked the first six innings for Middletown (3-2, 6-8) and departed with a 3-2 lead. Albert Ruske, who walked the only two batters he faced to open the seventh, took the loss.
Holt struck out nine and walked five but his pitch count was at 115 after six innings.
Ruske and John Kelly each went 2-for-3 with a RBI for Middletown. Tyler Showen added a triple and a RBI.
Calistoga 5
Upper Lake 1
At Upper Lake, the Calistoga Wildcats no-hit the Upper Lake Cougars in NCL II action. Upper Lake’s lone run scored on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third to make it a 3-1 game.
Upper Lake is 1-3 in the NCL II standings and 3-8 overall.
Tennis
St. Helena 4
Middletown 1
At St. Helena, even without one of their top singles players, undefeated Rory Winters, the St. Helena Saints beat the Middletown Mustangs to clinch the outright Coastal Mountain Conference tennis championship. It was the regular-season finale for both teams and Middletown (6-2) needed a win to earn a co-championship. St. Helena finishes 8-0.
Middletown’s lone win was Robert Amante’s 6-1, 6-0 victory over Kyle McCaffery in No. 3 singles. Natalie Stanton beat Chris King 6-1, 6-0 in No. 1 singles while freshman Kelly Hinds defeated Trevor Smith 6-2, 6-4 in No. 2 singles.
Cloverdale 3
Kelseyville 2
At Kelseyville, the Cloverdale Eagles edged the Kelseyville Knights in the CMC finale for both teams, a match that featured a 2 1/2 marathon in first singles where Cloverdale’s Aidan Reynolds beat Kelseyville’s Drew Ashby 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 6-0.
Second doubles decided it as Cloverdale’s Eli Arreola and Derick Rileabeat Fernie Garcia and Summer Brown 6-2, 3-6, 7-4 (tiebreaker played in lieu of a third set because of time constraints).
JV baseball
Lower Lake 10
Fort Bragg 4
At Fort Bragg, Hokulani Wickard pitched five innings for the victory and went 3-for-5 with a RBI as Lower Lake’s junior varsity baseball team beat Fort Bragg to improve to 7-0 in league play and 9-3 overall.
The Trojans had a season-best 10 hits, including a three-run double from Tony Padilla. Ethan Watson also went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
Cloverdale 8
Clear Lake 5
At Cloverdale, Jake Jackson hit a two-run home run and Brandon Rivera went 2-for-3 with a double, but the Clear Lake Cardinals fell to the Cloverdale Eagles.
Clear Lake is 5-3 in league.
Ryan Damiata also had two hits for the Cardinals.
