LAKEPORT >> Doug Wingler was second-guessing himself following the Clear Lake Cardinals’ softball game against the Willits Wolverines on Monday afternoon in Lakeport.
“I called for a first-pitch changeup,” Wingler said. “I probably should have called for a fastball.”
The No. 3 hitter in Willits’ batting order connected for a single in the top of the first inning, but it didn’t hurt the Cardinals in the end, at least not as far as the win-loss column goes. Senior pitcher Rachel Wingler was in complete control from the start as Clear Lake shut out Willits 10-0 in the North Central League I opener for both teams. As things played out, that would be the Wolverines’ only hit and only base runner of the day.
“She just missed a perfect game,” Wingler said of his daughter’s outing.
Wingler – as in Rachel – didn’t allow anything close to a hit the rest of the game. In fact, Willits didn’t hit the ball out of the infield. Of the 15 outs recorded by the Cardinals in the five-inning game, which was called early because of the 10-run mercy rule, 11 were by Wingler strikeout, two came on grounders, and the other two on infield popups.
Clear Lake’s outfielders had the best seat in the house to watch it all unfold as they barely had to move during the game.
“They were hopefully paying attention,” Wingler joked.
Clear Lake improved to 6-4 overall with a win that held little suspense after the Cardinals unloaded on the Wolverines during a seven-run bottom of the first inning. Clear Lake sent 12 batters to the plate and picked up key RBI hits from Emily Psalmonds (2-for-3) and freshman Madi Ferguson, who doubled home a run.
Wingler – as in the coach – emptied his bench from that point.
“Just about everyone got to swing the bat or at least a couple of innings in the field,” Wingler said. “It was a good time to get some younger kids some playing time. I felt pretty good about doing that because Rachel was dominant today.”
Willits helped out the Cardinals, not that they needed any, with five errors, three of them during the seven-run first.
Clear Lake finished with 11 hits overall. Psalmonds, Mina Werner and Alicia Ledesma finished with two hits apiece. Werner also drove in two runs on a day when a bit of rain and hail came down during the game.
The Cardinals added an insurance run in the third inning and two more in the fifth. The game was called with no outs in the bottom of the fifth when Ledesma singled home a run to make it 10-0.
Clear Lake is off until a week from today when its hosts the Kelseyville Knights in a league game at 4 p.m.
