LAKEPORT >> Sara Ogden scored from second base on an infield single to cap a dramatic five-run rally in the seventh inning as the Clear Lake Cardinals stunned the Fort Bragg Timberwolves 7-6 on Thursday afternoon in Lakeport.
It’s the second North Central League I softball game this week during which the Cardinals (4-3 league, 8-3 overall) have secured a victory in their final at-bat – they pushed two runs across the plate in the seventh inning against Lower Lake to win 4-3 on Tuesday.
“It’s still kind of hard to wrap my head around,” Clear Lake coach Doug Wingler said of the play that won the game.
Clear Lake was trailing 6-5 with runners at second (Ogden) and third (Emma Boatwright) and Regina Faalelela standing at the plate. Faalelela, the Cardinals’ senior catcher, hit a ball to deep shortstop and legged out an infield single, beating the throw to first base by a step, as Boatwright scored the tying run. Before the Timbewolves could even react, Ogden had crossed the plate with the winning run.
“She never broke stride,” Wingler said of Ogden, who was running on contact with two outs. “It happened so fast Fort Bragg thought the game was just tied. They didn’t know Ogden had scored (the winning run).”
Wingler said Ogden is not only ultra-fast, but a seasoned baserunner.
“In my 10 years of coaching here, she’s probably one of the smartest baserunners I’ve had the pleasure to work with,” Wingler said. “Once the ball was hit (by Faalelea) she was headed home. She was halfway between third and home when the Fort Bragg first baseman caught the ball. There was no play at the plate.”
If that had been Ogden’s only contribution to Clear Lake’s big comeback, it would have been plenty. It wasn’t. Before Faalelea stepped to the plate, Ogden doubled on a 2-2 pitch to left field, driving in two runs. Wingler said most players would have been held to a single on Ogden’s hit but the speedy junior easily made it to second, which proved critical when Faalelea followed with her infield single.
“I looked up to see where Sara was when Emma scored and she (Ogden) was halfway there (to the plate),” Wingler said.
In a game where the Cardinals couldn’t seem to come up with a big hit when it mattered most, Ogden’s two-run double proved ample compensation.
“It was a great at-bat,” Wingler said. “She was down in the count 0-2 and we were down to our last strike. She got it back to 2-2 before doubling.”
Clear Lake’s first four batters in the seventh reached base without putting the ball into play. Lily Hill, winning pitcher Shaelyn McKintire and Lila Ogden all walked to load the bases. Boatwright was then hit by a pitch to force home Hill. While it looked like the rally was on at that point, back-to-back strikeouts left the Cardinals hanging on the edge still trailing 6-3 with the bases loaded. Ogden’s double and Faalelela’s infield single quickly reversed Clear Lake’s fortunes.
Fort Bragg (2-3) led 5-1 after three innings. Clear Lake closed to 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth only to watch the Timberwolves get that run back in the top of the sixth.
McIntire worked all seven innings to notch the victory. She struck out two, walked one and allowed only two earned runs.
Clear Lake is home again Friday to play St. Bernard of Eureka in a non-league game.
