LAKEPORT >> Rachel Wingler pitched the Clear Lake Cardinals to their first North Coast Section title in eight years, but it was her bat above all else that paved the way to the school’s third sectional championship.
Wingler, a three-year starter for the Cardinals, is the most valuable player on the 2015 edition of the All-Lake County softball team as selected by the Lake County Record-Bee. Wingler, who went a career-best 20-6 for the Cardinals in her junior season, shared the MVP award a year ago with teammate Kelcie Reynolds, the Clear Lake catcher during Wingler’s freshman and sophomore campaigns.
While Wingler struggled as a pitcher and a hitter at times this season, especially in the early going, she won 16 of her final 17 starts, including 13 in a row during one stretch in league competition as the Cardinals earned a share of the North Central League I championship. As a hitter, her best three games of the season were arguably her last three as she went a combined 9-for-11 in the playoffs against Valley Christian of Dublin, St. Vincent of Petaluma and St. Joseph Notre Dame of Alameda. Three of those hits went for extra bases, including a solo home run in the Cardinals’ 5-1 title-clinching victory over St. Joseph. She also had eight RBIs in postseason competition.
Career-wise, Wingler has struck out 529 batters in 459 2/3 innings, including 186 in 165 innings this past season.
First team
Joining Wingler on the All-County first team are senior teammates Aliza Atkins (shortstop) and Hannah Norwood (center field).
While the Cardinals posted the county’s top record in 2015, the Lower Lake Trojans weren’t far behind at 19-7. Leading the way was senior pitcher Shelbie Harris and junior shortstop Ashlynn Mock, who will take over as the Trojans’ pitcher next season.
Lower Lake finished third in the NCL I standings behind co-champions Clear Lake and Cloverdale. In the Division IV playoffs that followed league play, Lower Lake knocked off St. Mary’s of Berkeley 5-3 in a first-round game before giving eventual section champion Marin Catholic all it could hand in the quarterfinals, falling 3-1 to the the No. 1-seeded Wildcats.
Harris, who endured a series of nagging injuries during her career at Lower Lake, including in her senior season, still went 17-6 for the Trojans with 189 strikeouts (second in the county) in just 130 innings. While she didn’t put up the numbers at the plate she has in past seasons, Harris finished among team leaders in hits (22), doubles (7) and RBIs (23).
Mock went 2-1 as a pitcher while filling in for an injured Harris early in the season although she spent the majority of her time playing shortstop. She really shined at the plate, leading the county in hits (44) and RBIs (36). Eleven of Mock’s hits went for extra bases, including eight doubles.
Middletown and Kelseyville each landed one player on the first team. Middletown’s representative was senior pitcher Renee Edwards, who made a run at Lake County’s single-season strikeout record of 249. She finished with a county-best and school-record 244 in 144 innings pitched as the Mustangs reached the opening round of the Division IV playoffs before being eliminated. Edwards also did her part at the plate with a team-leading 27 hits and 17 RBIs.
Kelseyville shortstop Riley Goff, the only sophomore on the All-County team, led the Knights with 32 hits (third in the county), including 13 doubles (second in county) and a triple.
Second team
Among All-County second-team selections, Clear Lake juniors Alicia Ledesma (third base) and Emily Psalmonds (second base) are joined by a trio of Lower Lake infielders — senior second baseman Emma Diener, junior first baseman Kristen Celli and junior third baseman Azuree Meza — as well as Upper Lake senior shortstop Janee Swaney and Middletown junior catcher/infielder Hannah Flynn.
Among the second-team selections, Meza collected 33 hits (second in county) with 14 doubles (first in county), three triples (tied for third) and 29 RBIs (tied for third). Diener had 28 hits (fourth in county) and Ledesma 27.
Coach of the Year
Clear Lake’s Gary Pickle picks up another Coach of the Year award after leading the Cardinals to a share of the league title and his third section crown since 2002 (in five title game appearances). While Clear Lake struggled early and was 4-5 through its first nine games, the team caught fire after that, going 16-1 (the lone loss a 4-3 setback to Cloverdale in a league playoff game). The Cardinals went 11-1 at home.
