FORT BRAGG >> Make that back-to-back undisputed North Central League I championships for the undefeated Clear Lake Cardinals, who took care of business on the Mendocino County coast Friday afternoon with an 11-1 victory over the Fort Bragg Timberwolves.
Clear Lake improved to 12-0 in league action and 22-0 overall as Dillon Williams, 6-0, pitched a complete-game two-hitter, striking out none and walking three. The Cardinals close out their their league and regular-season schedule next week with a road game Tuesday in Middletown and a home game Thursday against Kelseyville. The North Coast Section Division V playoffs follow.
Tyler Manning continued his red-hot hitting for the Cardinals by going 2-for-2 with a double and three RBIs. He is 6-for-6 in his last two games with eight RBIs.
“You want to get on the Tyler Manning train right now,” Clear Lake coach Zane Jensen said.
Cole Brodnansky went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Cardinals.
Clear Lake posted a 13-1 record a year ago while winning the NCL I.
In other baseball action Friday:
Willits 4
Kelseyville 3
At Kelseyville, the Kelseyville Knights were one out away from a win in the bottom of the seventh when Willits tied the game on an error. The visiting Wolverines went on to prevail in eight innings.
Noah Lyndall went the distance on the mound for the Knights but was undone by an unearned run in the seventh and two more in the eighth. Kelseyville (7-6, 11-12).
Kelseyville scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to close the gap to 4-3 and had runners at the corners when the game ended on a comebacker.
Sambhava Baird went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for the Knights and Devin Dugger went 2-for3 with a RBI.
Losing pitcher Noah Lyndall went the distance, striking out nine and walking four.
Middletown 10
Lower Lake 0
At Middletown, behind Tyler Holt’s five-inning no-hitter, the Middletown Mustangs improved to 7-4 in league and 10-10 overall with a victory over the Lower Lake Trojans, who close out the season at 2-12 in league and 4-18 overall.
Holt (2-for-3, 2 RBIs) also homered in the win as did teammate Stephan Amos (1×2, 4 RBIs). In fact, Holt’s two-run blast in the bottom of the fourth was followed two batters later by Amos’ mammoth two-run shot into the football bleachers behind the center field fence.
“It was way, way out,” Middletown coach Brad Holt said of Amos’ moonshot. It was Amos’ Lake County-leading third home run of the season.
Holt struck out 11 and walked two. Standout catches in center field by Tyler Showen and in right field by Travis Williams kept the no-hitter intact.
“His fastball was doing well … he was working it inside and outside,” Holt said of his son’s first varsity no-hitter. “And his curveball to the upper part of their lineup was working very well.”
Chris Davis went 3-for-3 for the Mustangs.
Lower Lake had only two baserunners, both the result of Holt walks, and only one advanced past first base.
Middletown is off until Wednesday when it travels to Willits.
Tech 5
Upper Lake 4
At Rohnert Park, Technology edged Upper Lake in NCL II action as the Cougars, despite getting 10 hits, stranded 10 runners.
“We also made too many errors again,” Upper Lake coach E.J. Crandell said.
Upper Lake is 1-8 in league and 3-13 overall.
Softball
Clear Lake 13
Fort Bragg 2
At Fort Bragg, make that 11 wins in a row for the Clear Lake Cardinals (11-1, 15-5) after they disposed of the Fort Bragg Timberwolves in five innings in NCL I action.
Every player in Clear Lake’s starting lineup had at least one hit. Mina Werner went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a RBI while scoring twice. Shyanne Chapin (2-for-2) and Alicia Ledesma (2-for-4) also knocked in two runs apiece.
“Our bats are starting to come alive at just the right time,” Clear Lake coach Gary Pickle said. “We hit throughout the lineup.”
Winning pitcher Rachel Wingler struck out four and walked none.
Kelseyville 6
Willits 5
At Kelseyville, the Kelseyville Knights closed out a rebuilding season with a nine-inning victory over the Willits Wolverines.
The Knights finished 5-9 in league and 7-13 overall under first-year coach Jeff Bour.
Kelseyville loaded the bases with one out in the ninth and scored the winning run when the Willits pitcher threw the ball away at home plate after fielding a comebacker.
Morgan Profitt worked all nine innings for the win, striking out nine and walking only three.
Riley Goff went 3-for-4, doubled twice and knocked in a run for Kelseyville and Brendelyn Pelzel went 3-for-5.
The Knights scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh to pull even at 5. In the bottom of the ninth, Pelzel led off with a bunt single and made it all the way around to third base on a Willits error, but she was thrown out trying to score on a ball that bounced away from the Willits catcher. Two hit batsmen sandwiched around a Goff single loaded the bases for Bib Hamner (2-for-5, 2 RBIs), who hit a routine grounder back to the Willits pitcher.
Upper Lake 24
Tomales 13
At Upper Lake, the Upper Lake Cougars improved to 4-3 in the NCL II standings and 11-5 overall with a five-inning victory over the Tomales Braves.
Upper Lake drew 25 walks and had only nine hits. KJ Taylor went 3-for-4 with four RBIs to spark the Cougars, who erased a 9-7 deficit with a 13-run bottom of the fourth.
Janee Swaney and winning pitcher Julia Mooney each had two hits.
JV baseball
Clear Lake 12
Fort Bragg 2
At Lakeport, Ryan Damiata pitched three innings for the victory and Hunter Daily went 4-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBIs to lead the Clear Lake JVs past Fort Bragg in six innings.
Alex Adams went 2-for-4 with a double, triple and three RBIs for the Cardinals, now 10-3 in league.
Clear Lake can clinch the undisputed NCL I championship with a win at home Monday against Lower Lake. First pitch is 4 p.m.
Kelseyville 7
Willits 1
At Kelseyville, Jonah Lewis went 3-for-3 with a double, triple and a RBI and he also pitched five innings for the victory against Willits.
Gideon Turner had a big day at the plate for the Knights as he singled, doubled and hit a three-run homer. He had six RBIs overall.
Carson Holdenried went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs for Kelseyville.
The Knights finish the season at 8-6 in league play.
