UKIAH — On a day when the north wind was howling, a Clear Lake 8-0 lead went south in a hurry, but the Cardinals battled back to beat the Ukiah Wildcats 12-8 in non-league softball action at Ukiah.
Clear Lake (2-0) led 8-0 going to the bottom of the fifth inning when the Wildcats (0-2) finally broke through against winning pitcher Shaelyn McIntire, scoring three times. Ukiah rallied to tie the game with five runs in the bottom of the sixth, taking advantage of four Clear Lake errors in the inning and some timely hitting.
“In that situation you can either roll over or not like it and go out there and get some runs and that’s what they did,” Clear Lake assistant coach Phil Psalmonds said of the Cardinals answering Ukiah’s big inning with a four-run top of the seventh. Sydney Lawler’s bunt single and a throwing error on the play scored Raina Clifton with what proved to be the winning run. Sara Ogden followed with a RBI triple to make it 10-8 and then scored on a Joy Ingalls sacrifice bunt. Another RBI sacrifice bunt by Lilli Hill later in the inning rounded out the scoring.
“We played small ball to take advantage of all the speed we have,” Psalmonds said. “I asked other people to play small ball and every one of them came through.”
McIntire retired Ukiah in order in the bottom of the seventh and figured in all three outs as she struck out the first batter, caught a line drive for the second out, and gloved a comebacker and threw on to first for the final out. She allowed only three earned runs, struck out seven and walked six while recording the complete game.
Ogden, Ingalls, Hill, Lawler and Shelby Ingham (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) had two hits apiece for Clear Lake.
The Cardinals return to action Friday against Berean Christian of Walnut Creek in the opening round of the Cloverdale Tournament. First pitch is 4 p.m. The tournament runs through Saturday.
In other Tuesday softball action:
Middletown 9, Healdsburg 8
At Healdsburg, something had to give and something did as the previously winless Middletown Mustangs (1-3) beat the still-winless Healdsburg Greyhounds (0-4) in non-league action.
Alle Vierra’s two-out RBI single in the top of the seventh scored Maddie Ferguson, who walked with two outs and stole second base, to break a 8-8 tie. The Mustangs then survived a scary bottom of the seventh as the Greyhounds put runners at first and third with no outs. An infield popup caught by Middletown’s Emma Hansen turned into a double play when the runner at first broke for second on the play. Winning pitcher Savannah McLaughlin struck out the next batter to register the complete-game victory.
Healdsburg scored five times in the bottom of the fifth inning to grab an 8-6 lead. Middletown pulled even in the top of the sixth with two runs that scored on passed balls.
“It feels good,” Middletown coach Bob Gunion said of the Mustangs’ initial victory of the 2019 season. “The girls responded in the game after we fell behind. We learned from our mistakes the last three games.”
Middletown jumped out to a 4-0 lead and took a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth when the Greyhounds rallied to push in front.
Makaili Brown and Lily Martin each went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for Middletown. Abigail Elder (1-for-2) also drove in a run as did Vierra (1-for-1).
The two teams combined for 15 hits, all of them singles.
“You had to play small ball,” Gunion said. “Their whole outfield was mud so everyone was playing in. If you hit the ball into the outfield it took one hop and sunk into the ground.”
Middletown is back in action Thursday against El Molino in Forestville.
Eureka 12, Lower Lake 8 (1st game)
Eureka 12, Lower Lake 0 (2nd game)
At Lower Lake, the Lower Lake Trojans dropped a non-league doubleheader to Eureka as Loggers sophomore pitcher Alexa Morehouse recorded wins in both games, including a five-inning no-hitter in game two.
Eureka (2-1) used an eight-run third inning to open up a 10-1 lead in game one. Lower Lake (0-3) battled back with four runs in the bottom of the third and three in the fourth to make it 10-8.
Jackie Cooper went 2-for-4 with a double and four RBIs for Lower Lake and Alisha Cook went 2-for-4 with a double.
Losing pitcher Shelby Sapeta left after three innings.
In the second game, Eureka built a 7-0 lead in the first two innings, which is six more than Morehouse needed while weaving her no-hitter.
“We’re still trying to figure out our infield,” Lower Lake coach Dave Milano said. “We’re shuffling people around, trying to find a combination that works.”
Lower Lake was missing two of its top players – Kayla Doud and Lily Griffin – because of illness and injury.
“We were kind of beat up today,” Milano said.
Lower Lake faces McKinleyville on Friday at 5 p.m. in the opening round of the McKinleyville Tournament. The Trojans play two more tournament games Saturday.
