CLOVERDALE >> Moved from the cleanup spot to third in the Kelseyville batting order against the St. Helena Saints on Tuesday afternoon, Bib Hamner didn’t seem to mind. In fact, the sophomore provided cleanup-like power by slugging two home runs, one a grand slam, in a 12-4 Knights road victory.
The win gives Kelseyville a 4-4 record in the North Central League I softball standings and a 7-4 overall mark.
Hamner’s grand slam in the top of the second gave Kelseyville a short-lived 4-0 lead as the Saints countered with four runs in the bottom of the inning, but that was all they would get against winning pitcher Morgan Profitt, who finished with a four-hitter.
“She settled down, threw strikes and threw the ball well,” Kelseyville coach Jeff Bour said.
Kelseyville regained the lead for good with three runs in the top of the fourth. The Knights took an 8-4 lead into the top of the seventh, putting the game away at that point on a pair of two-run homers, the first by Hamner and the second by Tymeka Green.
Hamner reached base in all five of her plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with two intentional walks. It would have been three intentional passes but the Saints decided to pitch to her in the seventh after a Kelseyville runner was called out for leaving the base too soon.
“They had already thrown her two balls when that happened,” Bour said. “They decided to pitch to her and she hit the first pitch she saw for the home run.”
Bailey Couey, Brendelyn Pelzel and Kailani Brown had two hits apiece for Kelseyville.
In other action Tuesday:
Cloverdale 5, Lower Lake 1
At Cloverdale, winning pitcher Teanne Edens has Lower Lake’s number this season.
“She just kills us,” Lower Lake coach Chris Emberson said after the senior allowed just four hits and struck out 14 in the Eagles’ league win over the Trojans (6-2, 13-5).
And it’s not just Edens’ pitching. It’s her hitting, too. She went 2-for-2 with a triple, solo home run and bases-loaded walk against Lower Lake. She is 7-for-7 at the plate in two games against the Trojans this season.
While neither team was charged with an error, Emberson said “a couple of mental errors” early on cost the Trojans, who trailed 4-0 after three innings. It was 5-0 going to the top of the sixth when each of Lower Lake’s first two hitters – Jolean Scarborough and Azuree Meza – reached on singles. Edens later threw a wild pitch that allowed Scarborough to score, but she quickly slammed the door shut on the Trojans’ threat.
“Her control was better this time but it was her velocity that hurt us,” Emberson said. “We didn’t put the ball into play enough. We didn’t put enough pressure on her.”
Scarborough and Meza were the only two Lower Lake batters who did not strike out against Cloverdale’s ace. In fact, Meza went 2-for-3 and is 4-for-6 against Edens this season.
Kristen Celli had the only other Lower Lake hit.
Rincon Valley 7, Upper Lake 5
At Santa Rosa, Rincon Valley Christian snapped a 5-all tie with a run in the bottom of the fifth and went on to beat the Upper Lake Cougars in NCL II softball action.
“We just played terrible,” Upper Lake coach Kelly Coburn said. “We can’t win games with eight errors.”
Rebecca Harper, Cheyanne Obedoza, Jazlyn Bonilla, Megan Franco and Katlyn Minnis knocked in runs for the Cougars, now 2-3 in league play and 5-10 overall.
Baseball
Cloverdale 10, Lower Lake 0
At Cloverdale, the Cloverale Eagle (8-1) remained a game back of Kelseyville (9-0) in the NCL I baseball standings by beating the Lower Lake Trojans (0-10, 5-12) in five innings.
Ethan Watson and Ryan Hallsted had the only Lower Lake hits.
Jordan McGrath, the first of three Lower Lake pitchers, took the loss.
JV baseball
Lower Lake 10, Cloverdale 0
At Lower Lake, despite losing two players for disciplinary reasons, the Lower Lake Trojans shut out the Cloverdale Eagles in a five-inning junior varsity baseball game.
Lower Lake (6-3, 10-4) played with the minimum nine players after loaning a player to the varsity.
Mike Taliaferro, who wasn’t scheduled to start the game, pitched a two-hitter, striking out six and walking three.
Izzac Carver went 2-for-3 with a double, Austin Oranje went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and William Plubell went 2-for-3 for the Trojans. Oranje’s RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the fifth gave the Trojans a 10-0 lead, at which point the game was halted because of the 10-run mercy rule.
Jack Mitcham and Gage Thayer knocked in pair of runs each for Lower Lake.
The Trojans are scheduled to play Friday in Fort Bragg.
Golf
At Santa Rosa, the Coastal Mountain Conference South season came to end at the par-72 Oakmont West course.
St. Helena and Middletown had the only complete teams, St. Helena winning 351-374. St. Vincent had already clinched the conference championship going into Tuesday’s action and will advance to the North Coast Section Championships on Monday at the same Oakmont West course.
Joining St. Vincent at the sectionals will be at-large golfers Ryan Johnson and Connor Chesky of St. Helena, both seniors, and Kelseyville sophomore Matt Wotherspoon.
Johnson had the low round on Tuesday with a 3-under-par 69 that featured five birdies. St. Vincent’s Jack Hood carded a 71 and both Chesky and Wotherspoon finished with 76. Derek Coulter and Quentin Crayne led Middletown with rounds of 92.
