LOWER LAKE >> The Clear Lake Cardinals cleared another big hurdle in their quest to win a North Central League I softball championship in Doug Wingler’s first season as head coach on Tuesday afternoon with a 7-2 victory over the Lower Lake Trojans in Lower Lake.
Clear Lake is now 9-0 in league play with five games remaining, only two of which are against teams with winning records (Kelseyville and Lower Lake).
Wingler isn’t popping the champagne cork just yet, however.
“One game at a time,” he said. “I’ve talked to the girls about this. “It was good to get Cloverdale and now Lower Lake, but we’ve got to show up and keep our heads in the game … stay in it mentally no matter who we’re playing.
“Any time you play on the road and come out with a win, especially against a good team like Lower Lake, you have to be happy with that,” Wingler added.
Lower Lake, now 7-3 in league, will face Clear Lake again on May 20 in Lakeport.
“Clear Lake’s a great team and they play small ball very well,” Lower Lake coach Chris Emberson said. “Their speed puts so much pressure on you.”
Clear Lake scored twice in the top of the first inning against losing pitcher Ashlynn Mock and led the rest of the way.
Three of Lower Lake’s first four batters reached safely on hits in the bottom of the first against winning pitcher Rachel Wingler, but a costly baserunning mistake by the Trojans limited them to a single run.
“You can’t make those kinds of mistakes against Clear Lake,” Emberson said.
Clear Lake added single runs in the third and fourth before pushing three runs across the plate in the fifth for a 7-1 lead. Lower Lake added its final run in the seventh.
The Cardinals received solid play in the field from second baseman Emily Psalmonds, who helped turn a double play in the bottom of the sixth to snuff out a Lower Lake rally. She also drove in one of the Cardinals’ runs.
Wingler scattered five hits, struck out six and walked one. Mock also went the distance, allowing four hits, striking out four and walking three.
“She pitched well enough to keep us in the game,” Emberson said.
