UPPER LAKE — Locked in a 10-10 tie with Upper Lake going to the top of the sixth inning, the Clear Lake Cardinals scored nine times to break things open and went on to beat the Cougars 25-14 in a non-league softball game Wednesday afternoon at Upper Lake.
Originally scheduled to take place in Lakeport, the game was moved to Upper Lake just hours before the 4 p.m. first pitch because Clear Lake’s field is still in rough shape because of all the rainfall this month. The two teams played in on-and-off rain at Upper Lake, which didn’t help either team’s defense — Clear Lake (3-2) committed nine errors while Upper Lake (0-2) made six.
Clear Lake scored six times in the top of the fourth to take a 10-4 lead only to watch Upper Lake come right back with six runs of its own in the bottom half to tie the game.
The Cardinals used two pitchers and the Cougars three in the game. Clear Lake ace Lilianna Cruz lasted only 2 1/3 innings, coming out of the game in the third inning because of an ongoing hip injury that will likely keep her from pitching in the near future, according to Clear Lake assistant coach Marci Psalmonds, who said the junior left-hander is unable to push off without pain. Freshman Atiana Patino relieved Cruz and worked the final 4 2/3 innings to record the victory, her second of the season. She struck out two and walked three.
“She’s doing fine, we need to play better defense behind her,” Psalmonds said of the freshman Patino.
Clear Lake also has a freshman behind the plate in Karsyn Greer.
“She trapped a lot of balls tonight,” Psalmonds said.
Aimee Schaefers was the losing pitcher.
Both teams had nine hits. For Clear Lake, Amber Smart went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs while Sierra Bruch went 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs. Camrin Pivniska added two more hits, one of them a double, and a RBI. For Upper Lake, Ruby Wurm went 3-for-5 with a double, triple and a RBI and Ashlyn Wurm went 2-for-5 with a RBI.
Clear Lake opens its North Central League I schedule Thursday at home against Lower Lake at 4 p.m. The game has been moved from Lower Lake because the Trojans’ field is waterlogged from recent rainfall. It’s also the season opener for Lower Lake, which has had all of its non-league games postponed because of the weather.
