LAKEPORT — The visiting Fort Bragg Timberwolves had plenty of baserunners (nine) but no hits against Clear Lake pitcher Shaelyn McIntire on Tuesday afternoon as the Cardinals won 4-2 to close out their North Central League I softball schedule at a solid 12-2.
McIntire’s no-hitter locked up sole possession of second place in the league standings for the Cardinals (17-4), who are home again Wednesday to play NCL II co-leader St. Vincent in a non-league game that could very well determine who gets the No. 1 seed in the North Coast Section Division V softball playoffs, which begin next week. St. Vincent beat Clear Lake 13-2 on March 15 in Petaluma — the Cardinals’ first loss of the season.
“We were not a good team when we faced them the last time,” Clear Lake coach Phil Psalmonds said. “We’ll see where we stand tomorrow.”
Clear Lake has won 15 of 18 since then. The team’s only other losses this season were to undefeated NCL I champion Cloverdale (twice in league play) and to non-league opponent Montgomery.
Neither Clear Lake or St. Vincent will have to deal with Cloverdale in the postseason since the Eagles are up in Division IV this season where they are the projected No. 1 seed.
In their league finale against Fort Bragg, a usually reliable Clear Lake defense had a markedly off day with six errors. McIntire also walked a batter and hit two, but the Timberwolves (7-6) could only managed two unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning.
Clear Lake went up 2-0 in the bottom of the first on a bases-loaded, two-run single by Lilli Hill. The Cardinals doubled their lead with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the third as Madi Ferguson (2-for-3) followed a leadoff double by Sara Ogden (2-for-3) with a home run to straightaway center field two batters later.
The home run, Ferguson’s fifth of the season, took some of the sting out of the senior shortstop’s tough day in the field, according to Psalmonds.
“She didn’t let her defense affect her offense,” Psalmonds said.
Those two runs proved to be critical when Fort Bragg took advantage of Clear Lake’s sloppy play in the field to score twice in the sixth.
McIntire struck out four with another in a string of strong performances by the junior in league play where the Cardinals won their final eight in a row. A win over St. Vincent on Wednesday would give them a nine-game winning streak heading into the playoffs.
Sydney Lawler and Raina Clifton had Clear Lake’s other hits.
In other softball action Tuesday:
Cloverdale 10, Lower Lake 0
At Cloverdale, the Cloverdale Eagles closed out a perfect NCL I campaign (14-0) and a perfect regular season (23-0) with a five-inning victory over the Lower Lake Trojans in the NCL I finale for both teams.
Cloverdale automatically advances to the Division IV sectional playoffs next week as the likely No. 1 seed. Lower Lake (10-4, 15-8) can apply for an at-large berth but won’t make that decision until Wednesday, according to coach Dave Milano.
“It wasn’t unanimous,” Milano said of the results of an informal postgame vote of his players when asked if they wanted to participate to the playoffs. “I want to go, but if they’re not unanimous we won’t. They’re going to meet (Wednesday) and let me know.”
Back-to-back losses to Clear Lake (on Friday) and Cloverdale took some of the shine off of what was an otherwise solid league campaign and regular season for the Trojans and their first-year coach, who is stepping down at the conclusion of the season.
“It felt like a good season, but it ended on a down note,” he said.
The Trojans managed just two hits against losing pitcher Tehya Bird, who struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter. Sam Edrich singled in the third inning and Kayla Doud singled in the fifth.
“She was throwing a changeup and when she throws that pitch, she’s that much tougher to hit,” Milano said of the hard-throwing junior.
Kelseyville 4, Middletown 3
At Middletown, in a battle of rebuilding softball teams, the young Knights prevailed to close out league play at 5-9. Middletown (2-11, 5-15) hosts Fort Bragg on Thursday in its league and season finale.
In a game tied 1-1 going to the seventh inning, Paige Bour blasted a one-out solo home run that cleared the scoreboard in right-center field and put Kelseyville ahead to stay. Paula Vargas nearly hit one out, settling for a long single, before scoring on MJ Boardman’s triple down the left-field line. Ryann Taylor’s RBI single brought home Boardman to make it 4-1.
Middletown mounted a major threat in the bottom half of the inning, scoring twice and putting the potential tying and go-ahead runs at second and third with only one out. Winning pitcher Mikayla Guistolise worked out of the jam by striking out the next batter and fielding a comebacker and throwing to first for the game’s final out.
Bour’s home run was her fifth of the season, tying her with Clear Lake’s Madi Ferguson for the county lead. Taylor went 2-for-3 for the Knights.
“When the season began, I didn’t know if we would go 0-14 in league,” Kelseyville coach Jeff Bour said of his young squad. “We improved and kept getting better.”
Bour said the Knights were trying to schedule a non-league game with Laytonville later in the week but didn’t know if it would happen. If the game doesn’t take place, Kelseyville will finish the season at 7-10 overall.
St. Vincent 14, Upper Lake 1 (5 inn.)
At Upper Lake, NCL II co-leader St. Vincent bounced back from a 10-9 league loss to Credo by pummeling the Upper Lake Cougars in five innings.
Upper Lake (1-4, 3-8) scored on a Katlyn Minnis two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to break up the shutout. Colene Pulido opened the inning with a triple over the right-fielder’s head and scored two batters later on Minnis’ hit.
St. Vincent banged out 16 hits and also benefited from eight Upper Lake errors.
“They make good contact a lot,” Upper Lake coach Nick Williamson said of the Mustangs (5-1, 12-6), who had a 10-0 lead after three innings.
Minnis pitched a complete game for the Cougars, striking out four, walking six and hitting three.
Cheyanne Obedoza, Mallory Henry, Hailey Reams and Maria Wade had Upper Lake’s other hits.
The Cougars finish their season Friday at home against Tomales.
