PETALUMA — A four-run St. Vincent third inning fueled by a pair of costly Clear Lake outfield errors proved to be the Cardinals’ undoing in a 5-3 non-league softball loss to the Mustangs on Thursday afternoon in Petaluma.
Clear Lake (1-1) got back into the game on a Stella Hill RBI double and a two-run Montana Wells single in the top of the fourth, but that’s all the offense the Cardinals could generate against winning pitcher Sophia Skubic, who struck out nine in seven innings while scattering seven Clear Lake hits and walking two.
“Six of her nine strikeouts were on changeups,” Clear Lake head coach Rachael Harmon said of Skubic, a junior. “Even when the girls were anticipating it, knew it was coming, they couldn’t keep their hands back. That changeup was nasty.”
A one-out outfield error started St. Vincent’s four-run second inning and was followed by a RBI triple to make it a 1-0 game. Losing pitcher Lilianna Cruz got the second out of the inning without the runner advancing, but a two-out RBI double, a wild pitch, walk and another Clear Lake outfield error allowed the Mustangs to exit the inning with a 4-0 lead.
Hailee Bussard opened the Clear Lake third with a hit and moved up to second when the outfielder bobbled the ball. One out later, Grace Gomez worked a long at-bat against Skubic into a walk.
“The girls really reacted well to that,” Harmon said of the Gomez at-bat. “It helped change the momentum of the game in our favor.”
Hill’s run-scoring hit put the Cardinals on the board. With two outs, Wells (2-for-3) singled home two more runs to make it 4-3. With the top of the order coming up, Joy Ingalls, a speedy slap hitter, was called out for being outside the batter’s box when she made contact with a Skubic pitch, ending the inning.
St. Vincent added a run in the bottom of the fourth to push its lead to 5-3. Cruz and Skubic put up zeroes the rest of the way although the Cardinals nearly scored again in the seventh when, with one out, Wells doubled off the fence in left field. When the ball left her bat, Harmon thought it might clear the fence for a home run.
“I thought it was going,” Harmon said of Wells’ deep drive.
That brought Ingalls, who reached on singles in each of her first two at-bats, back up, and she was again called out for slapping the ball outside the batter’s box, according to the umpire.
“She was in the box,” Harmon said. “It was so frustrating.”
A popup ended the game.
Cruz, a freshman making her second start of the season, allowed only one earned run in her first high school complete game. She struck out four and walked two.
“She makes the defense work behind her,” Harmon said. “She was hitting all of her spots and the defense helped her out most of the time.
“We caught nine popups,” Harmon added. “I think she did fantastic.”
Amber Smart went 1-for-4 for Clear Lake.
Clear Lake hits the road Friday to play Kelseyville in North Central League I action. It will be the league opener for the Cardinals, who had their scheduled league opener Tuesday at home against Willits postponed because the Wolverines are on spring break and couldn’t assemble a team. The Knights are 0-1 in league and 0-2 overall.
“We’re excited,” Harmon said. “The girls felt great about the game they played and we’re hoping it gives us momentum going into tomorrow.”
Notes: Former Clear Lake High School softball star Julie Jackson, the starting catcher for the Cardinals’ 27-0 team in 2007 and now the Kelseyville head coach, will face her alma mater for the first time … The Knights dropped their league opener Tuesday in Cloverdale, 16-5. They were tied with the Eagles 5-5 early on.
