CLOVERDALE — How would his team respond to adversity? First-year Clear Lake High School softball head coach Scott Schaefers got the answer Saturday as the Cardinals, still stinging from a 5-2 loss the day before against Fortuna in the opening round of the Cloverdale Tournament, bounced back in a big way.
Clear Lake beat St. Vincent 5-4 in the consolation semifinals before 10-running the St. Bernard’s Crusaders 11-1 in the consolation championship game.
Fortuna’s five-run seventh inning on Friday erased Clear Lake’s 2-0 lead, a game in which losing pitcher Lilianna Cruz took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and a shutout into the seventh. Schaefers said Cruz and the Cardinals couldn’t wait to return to the field Saturday against St. Vincent in the consolation semifinals.
“They came back energetic after that tough loss,” Schaefers said. “She (Cruz) couldn’t wait to get back out there. You’ve got to love a kid that wants the ball.”
Just as in the loss to Fortuna on Friday, Clear Lake established an early lead, 3-0, only to give it up as St. Vincent scored twice in the top of the fourth and twice in the fifth to go up 4-3. The score remained that way until the bottom of the sixth when senior catcher Hailee Bussard (3-for-3, 3 RBIs) singled home two runs to put the Cardinals up 5-4. And Cruz locked down the victory with a scoreless seventh this time, capping a four-hitter for the sophomore left-hander.
“We couldn’t do it the other day, but we did it this time, which was nice,” Schaefers said of his team’s strong finish.
Bussard had half of Clear Lake’s six hits, including a solo home run in her first at-bat. She also had a double. Sierra Bruch (double), Amber Smart and Camrin Pivniska had Clear Lake’s other hits.
Cruz struck out four and walked two and did not allow an earned run.
Clear Lake 11, St. Bernard’s 1
Cruz struck out 12 while tossing a two-hitter as the Cardinals secured the tournament’s consolation championship. She was backed by an 11-hit attack. Bruch (2-for-3), Smart (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) Pivniska (2-for-4, RBI) and Stella Hill (2-for-4, RBI) had two hits apiece and Bussard (1-for-4) drove in two runs.
“She got stronger every game,” Schaefers said of Cruz, who was named to the All-Tournament team.
While rain fell on the Cloverdale field early Saturday and again in the afternoon, Schaefers said the Cardinals (3-1) were able to dodge enough of the raindrops to get both of their games in.
“The tournament got us a lot of experience, it was great for our players,” Schaefers said.
Clear Lake returns to action Thursday in Willits, the North Central League I opener for both teams. First pitch is 4 p.m.
In other tournament action Saturday:
St. Bernard’s 10, Kelseyville 0
St. Vincent 8, Kelseyville 2
The Kelseyville Knights lost to St. Bernard’s and St. Vincent’s in their final two tournament games Saturday, dropping the team’s season record to 0-5.
In the five-inning loss to St. Bernard’s on Saturday morning, the Crusaders broke open a close game with a seven-run bottom of the fifth.
The Knights had just three hits, singles by Lilly Wiser, Olivia Hommer and losing pitcher Jayden Paulich, who struck out four and walked four.
Kelseyville had a 2-1 lead early on against St. Vincent on Saturday afternoon, a game that was halted because of rain with St. Vincent batting in the bottom of the sixth. The Mustangs pushed ahead to stay with a four-run third.
The Knights finished with nine hits. Cali Schnabl went 2-for-2 and also walked while Paulich went 2-for-3 with a RBI. Wiser, Hommer, Ari Fossa, Anastasia Ray and Taylor Hanson also had hits.
“There are moments when it’s working,” Kelseyville head coach Julie Jackson said of the progress her young squad has made through its first five games of the season. “I feel like we hit this wall late in the game, around the fifth inning, and that’s when we start making errors and mental mistakes.”
Paulich also went the distance against St. Vincent, striking out two and walking one.
Kelseyville visits Upper Lake on Tuesday at 4 p.m., its final preseason tuneup before opening its North Central League I schedule Friday at home against Cloverdale at 4 p.m.
