LAKEPORT >> Clear Lake and St. Bernard split a non-league softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon in Lakeport, the host Cardinals winning the opener 11-7 and falling 12-5 in the nightcap.
Clear Lake (5-4) certainly wasn’t lacking for offense in either game with 13 hits in game one and 12 more in game two, but the Cardinals struggled in other areas.
“It was probably one of the better games we’ve played,” Clear Lake coach Doug Wingler said of the first game, which the Cardinals led 9-1 going to the top of the sixth inning when St. Bernard closed to 9-7.
“They hit a whole bunch of balls that we missed by a foot,” Wingler said of St. Bernard’s big inning. “They hit it where we weren’t.”
Winning pitcher Kortnie Reynolds shut out the Crusaders through the first four innings. She went the distance, allowing six earned runs while striking out six and walking one.
Lila Ogden went 4-for-4 with a double and a RBI and Sara Ogden went 2-for-4 with a triple and four RBIs to spark the Clear Lake offense. Reynolds, Shyanne Chappin and Lilli Hill added two hits apiece.
The great start Clear Lake enjoyed in game one was nowhere to be found in game two. In fact, it was just the opposite as the Crusaders built a 7-1 lead in the first three innings. It was 10-1 before the Cardinals battled back with a four-run bottom of the sixth that featured a two-run double by Shaelyn McIntire.
“We came out flat and really didn’t play well,” Wingler said. “We left a ton of runners on base, something we haven’t done a whole lot of this year.”
The Cardinals had three triples among their 12 hits — by Lila (2-for-4, RBI) and Sara Ogden (2-for-4, RBI) and Madi Ferguson. Chapin went 2-for-3.
Hill was the losing pitcher. She worked 3 1/3 innings before giving way to Reynolds.
Clear Lake travels to Kelseyville today for a North Central League I game. The Cardinals return home Wednesday to host Middletown in another league game. Action both days starts at 4 p.m.
