LAKEPORT >> Returning from a two-week break of the unintentional variety, the Clear Lake Cardinals simply picked up where they left off on Tuesday afternoon by shutting out the Middletown Mustangs 9-0 in North Central League I softball action at Lakeport.
The Cardinals, now 7-0 in league and 12-4 overall, had gone since April 19 without seeing a live pitch thrown. They lost two games to rainouts and another because Willits didn’t have enough players to field a team. Willits has since forfeited that April 26 contest.
“I was eager to see how they would respond after such a long layoff,” Clear Lake coach Doug Wingler said of his mostly veteran group of players. “I was pleased with the frame of mind they brought to the game today. They played a good game.”
Winning pitcher Rachel Wingler blanked the Mustangs on one hit, a clean single into center field by Gracie Armstrong in the top of the fifth. Middletown’s only other baserunner, the result of a Clear Lake error, also reached in the fifth but Wingler wiggled out of the minor jam with help from catcher Anessa Jack, who picked off a runner at third base.
Wingler struck out three and walked none.
“She threw only 91 pitches and we made only one error,” Wingler said. “I’ll take that anytime.”
Clear Lake opened the scoring by pushing six runs across the plate in the bottom of the second inning. The Cardinals added another run in the third and two more in the sixth against losing pitcher Olivia Glosser, who also went the distance.
“We started off that inning (bottom of the second) by making an error,” Middletown coach Barry Glosser said. “Except for that second inning, we played right with them. We’ve just got to get our bats going.”
Wingler helped her own cause at the plate by going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Mina Werner also had two hits. The Cardinals had three extra-base hits – a triple by Regina Faalelea and doubles by Jack and Grace Davidson.
Clear Lake remains home Friday to play Cloverdale (8-1) at 4 p.m. The Cardinals beat the Eagles 7-1 on April 12 in Cloverdale. Middletown (1-8, 6-10) hosts St. Helena on Thursday at 4 p.m.