MIDDLETOWN >> Raina Clifton scored Clear Lake’s final two runs, one in the fifth inning and another in the seventh, as the Cardinals turned back the Middletown Mustangs 5-3 in North Central League I softball action Friday in Middletown.
Clear Lake (7-3 league, 8-4 overall) returns home Tuesday to play the undefeated St. Helena Saints (10-0), needing a win to stay in the league race. St. Helena can clinch the outright championship with a victory in Lakeport.
“We’re excited,” Clear Lake head coach Racheal Harmon said of facing the Saints a second time this season.
The first league meeting between the two teams was a 17-2 St. Helena win in five innings April 16 in St. Helena, a game Harmon called the team’s worst of the season.
“We’re not the same team,” Harmon said.
The Cardinals snapped a 3-3 tie against Middletown (4-6, 5-6) in the fifth. Leading off the inning, Clifton just missed a home run with a drive off the top of the fence in left field, settling for a double instead.
“I held my breath, she’s been roping the ball in practice and it looked like it was going to be a home run,” Harmon said. “She’s locked and loaded.”
Clifton (3-for-4) eventually scored on a wild pitch to give the Cardinals a 4-3 lead. It remained that way until the seventh when the Cardinals added an insurance run, Clifton again getting things started with a leadoff single. She later scored on a Grace Gomez groundout.
Middletown pushed across a run in the bottom of the second to go up 1-0, albeit briefly. The Cardinals scored three times in the top of the third before the Mustangs pulled even with two runs in the bottom half.
“A real close game, both teams are very similar to each other. We had a lot of fine play,” Middletown head coach Bob Gunion said. “It was a competitive game that makes it worth coaching.”
Nya Marcks, a Clear Lake freshman, pitched the first five innings to record the victory. She struck out seven and walked four. Marcks turned over a 4-3 lead to reliever Lilianna Cruz, who finished up for the save.
“Marcks worked hard, hitting her spots,” Harmon said. “Nya did a fantastic job.”
Harmon said it was a good bounceback game for her team following a 14-11 home loss Tuesday to Kelseyville, a game the Cardinals led 11-2 after five innings.
“We showed up ready to play and our defense was strong,” Harmon said.
Right fielder Stella Hill led the way with four nice catches, according to Harmon.
For Middletown, Jaidyn Brown made her first start of the season at catcher and turned in an excellent performance according to Gunion.
Hailee Bussard and Joy Ingalls each had two hits for Clear Lake. Maddie Ferguson (3-for-4) had three of Middletown’s six hits and losing pitcher Emma Hansen added two more. She also drove in two of the Mustangs’ runs. Lily Martin (1-for-2) also had a RBI.
Clear Lake dropped a 12-10 decision to Middletown in the first league meeting between the two teams April 13 in Lakeport.
Middletown is home Tuesday against Willits at 4 p.m.
In other softball action Friday:
Kelseyville 16, Willits 9
At Willits, the Kelseyville Knights scored 13 runs over the final three innings, including a six-run top of the seventh, to beat the Willits Wolverines and extend their league winning streak to four games.
Kelseyville third baseman Paula Vargas put the finishing touches on the win by hitting a grand slam to straightaway center field in the seventh inning, part of a 3-for-4 day that also included a double and six RBIs overall.
“And her defensive play was phenomenal,” Kelseyville head coach Julie Jackson said. “She’s been a key factor in our defense and she’s starting to come around at the plate, she’s really worked hard on her swing.”
Willits snapped a 3-all tie with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, forcing the Knights to rally from behind for the second game in a row (they scored 12 runs in their final two at-bats of a 14-11 win over Clear Lake on Tuesday in Lakeport).
The Wolverines tried to mount a rally in the bottom of the seventh when shortstop MJ Boardman made the play of the game, diving headlong toward center field to glove a line drive that sapped the momentum from the Wolverines, according to Jackson.
“She laid out for the ball, a play you don’t see very often,” Jackson said.
Winning pitcher Jo Hellgren, the Knights’ converted center fielder, went the distance, striking out three and walking three.
“She fights in every game and has really sacrificed for the team,” Jackson said. “She worked really hard to win the starting job in center field, but we needed her at pitcher. She shows up every day with a good attitude. I don’t have enough words for how much I appreciate her.”
Kelseyville had to shuffle its batting order and defense Friday with its starting corner outfielders unable to play, but the Knights were able to adjust, according to Jackson.
Myranda Williams went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Taylor Hanson went 2-for-5 with a triple for Kelseyville.
Fort Bragg 13, Lower Lake 3 (5 inn.)
At Fort Bragg, the Fort Bragg Timberwolves beat the Lower Lake Trojans in five innings, dropping Lower Lake to 2-8 in the league standings.
Lower Lake starting pitcher Jessica Hernandez was knocked out of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when a Fort Bragg player lined a ball off her forehead.
“It was a shot and I heard it hit. It was a loud thump.” Lower Lake head coach Brett Doud said. “I ran out there and the Fort Bragg coach (who is an EMT) ran out there. He checked her before she left the field and he checked her again at the end of the game. He didn’t think she had a concussion. She’s lucky.”
Hernandez’s reaction?
“No tears or nothing,” Doud said. “She is tough.”
While Hernandez does have a protective facemask that many pitchers wear nowadays, Doud said she left it at home. Keeley Parks replaced Hernandez on the mound and finished out the game.
Fort Bragg’s bats dominated the five innings played, according to Doud.
“Fort Bragg can hit the snot out of the ball,” he said of the Timberwolves, who improved to 7-3 in the league standings.
Game statistics were not available.
