KELSEYVILLE >> The Cloverdale Eagles built a 8-1 lead and took a major step toward winning the North Central League I softball championship with a 8-4 victory over the Kelseyville Knights on Monday in Kelseyville.
Cloverdale (9-1 league, 12-1 overall) beat Kelseyville (9-2, 14-3) for the second time in a week to sweep the season series. The Eagles prevailed 4-1 on May 1 in Cloverdale in the first meeting between the two teams.
The Eagles still have games remaining against Middletown, St. Helena, Lower Lake and Fort Bragg. Kelseyville’s final three league games are against Clear Lake, Fort Bragg and Middletown.
“We’re currently big fans of Lower Lake, Middletown and Fort Bragg,” Kelseyville coach Phil Psalmonds said. “We need to run the table and get some help.”
In the second go-around between these two schools, Cloverdale staked ace Tehya Bird to a 3-0 lead through two innings. Kelseyville got one of those runs back in the bottom of the third but wouldn’t score again until Bib Hamner launched her first home run of the season, a two-run shot to right field, in the bottom of the sixth. Unfortunately the Eagles had a 8-1 lead when Hamner crushed Bird’s offering. Tymeka Green doubled home the Knights’ final run in the seventh.
Bird struck out six and walked three while scattering five Kelseyville hits, three of them by Hamner (3-for-3).
“She really had a good day at the plate,” Psalmonds said.
Green and Bailey Couey had the only other hits allowed by Bird.
“She’s got our number,” Psalmonds said of the Cloverdale sophomore. “She’s a good pitcher. I’m just glad we don’t have to face them again. We’ve got a good team but we press against them. I told them to go out there and play and just have fun.”
Bird’s pitching counterpart, Allison Bryant, struggled all game long with her control. In addition to giving up 11 hits, she issued 12 walks, including five intentional passes to Bird, two of them with the bases loaded. Bird, Cloverdale’s leadoff hitter, is 0-for-0 with nine intentional walks against Kelseyville this season.
“She just didn’t have a good game today,” Psalmonds said of his sophomore pitcher, who allowed 25 baserunners in all. “She just didn’t have it and that happens.”
Both teams are right back in action Tuesday. Kelseyville hosts archrival Clear Lake (7-4) while Cloverdale returns home to play Middletown (7-4).
