REDDING — Playing in the bitter cold, the Clear Lake Cardinals opened a new season with a 15-5 loss in five innings to University Prep on Tuesday afternoon in non-league varsity baseball action at Redding.
“It was clear, windy and it was freezing cold,” Clear Lake head coach Ed Pepper said.
University Prep scored six times in the bottom of the second inning and added five more run in the third to go up 11-0 before Clear Lake answered with a five-run top of the fourth. The Panthers got four of those runs back in the bottom half.
“I’ve had some guys out three weeks and some other guys (basketball players) out a week,” Pepper said of a young Clear Lake squad that has only four seniors and none of them returning starters.
“I’m sitting on a heavy freshman, light sophomore, mediocre junior program,” Pepper said. “This year’s going to be rough because we’re raw.”
That doesn’t mean Pepper is down on his team’s chances. He isn’t.
“We’re going to be a work in progress,” he said. “We do have a JV program this year and I’m going to be pulling players up (to the varsity) and sending them to down to figure out what works best for us. I have not set the varsity squad yet. I think it’s going to be an exciting season.”
University Prep roughed up three Clear Lake pitchers. Hank Ollenberger started and pitched a scoreless first inning before allowing six runs in the second, his final inning of work. Graden Greer relieved to open the bottom of the third but walked the only three batters he faced. Greyson Wind replaced Greer and finished up.
Pepper said he does have pitching candidates, especially among his younger players, but it’s going to take some time to develop the talent.
“My goal is to have at least seven pitchers before we’re done,” Pepper said.
Clear Lake’s offense was limited to two hits — a double by Cody Hayes and a single by Ollenberger. All of the Cardinals’ runs in the top of the fourth were the result of University Prep errors.
“Their starting pitcher threw in the upper 70s, low 80s,” Pepper said. “He was just pouring fastballs down the middle but we’ve never seen velocity like that before.”
Clear Lake’s next scheduled game is Friday at home against Upper Lake although rain is in the forecast.
