WILLITS — Two days after combining for a one-hitter in a 2-0 non-league win over Fortuna, the Clear Lake High School duo of pitchers Atiana Patino and Lilianna Cruz joined forces to no-hit the Willits Wolverines in North Central League I action Friday in Willits. Clear Lake won 20-1 in five innings.
After Patino worked a scoreless first inning before Cruz relieved and went the rest of the way, striking out seven and walking three, to earn the victory.
Clear Lake’s offense supported its two pitchers with 14 hits, half of those coming from middle infielders Grace Gomez (4-for-5, double, two RBIs), the Cardinals’ senior second baseman, and Amber Smart (3-for-4, double, triple, three RBIs), the team’s junior shortstop.
“We shuffled our lineup around pretty good, I don’t think anyone was batting in their normal spot,” Clear Lake head coach Scott Schaefers said. “I really liked that we hit today.”
“We’ve struggle against slower pitchers, so it was nice to see,” Clear Lake assistant coach Marci Psalmonds said of the Cardinals’ production from up and down its lineup.
Montana Wells added two hits and two RBIs, Camrin Pivniska (1-for-2) drove in three runs and Karsyn Greer doubled and drove in two runs.
Clear Lake (6-5 league, 11-7 overall) is back above .500 in the NCL I standings with three league games remaining. The Cardinals host Middletown on Tuesday and Fort Bragg next Friday. Sandwiched between those two NCL I games is a non-league home doubleheader Thursday against St. Bernard’s of Eureka.
In other NCL I action Friday:
Middletown 6, Lower Lake 2
At Lower Lake, Rebecca Theodorou hit her fourth home run in the last three games for Lower Lake, but it wasn’t enough to lift the Trojans past the Middletown Mustangs even through Lower Lake out-hit Middletown six to five.
The difference was Middletown’s defense, which didn’t commit an error, and the five errors committed by the Trojans (2-9, 3-11), which led to five unearned runs.
“It was a 2-0 game for the longest time,” Lower Lake head coach Tara Downey said of the two runs Middletown (3-7, 4-7) scored in the top of the first inning.
Lower Lake finally broke up Shaylyn Sims’ shutout on Aliana Barnes’ RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, but Middletown answered with two runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to go up 6-1. Theodorou’s home run to center field in the bottom of the seventh against reliever Brooklyn Wood accounted for the Trojans’ final run.
“It was just a matter of time before she got going,” Downey said of her junior first baseman’s recent power surge. “Their outfielders were nearly backed up to the fence against her.”
Sims pitched the first five innings for the victory, allowing five hits, one run while striking out three and walking none. Wood worked the final two innings.
Middletown leadoff hitter Jaidyn Brown went 2-for-3 with a double and scored three times. Pailey Shook went 1-for-4 with a double and a RBI, and Cadence Henry went 1-for-3 with a double and a RBI.
Besides Theodorou and Barnes, Shay Tubbs (double), Norma Trimble, Brandy Klein and Kaitlyn Klein had hits for the Trojans.
Losing pitcher Keeley Parks went the distance and allowed just one earned run. She struck out 10 and walked one.
Both teams return to action Tuesday. Middletown plays Clear Lake in Lakeport while Lower Lake visits Fort Bragg.
Cloverdale 20, Kelseyville 1
At Cloverdale, Jayden Paulich hit a home run for the Knights’ lone run in a five-inning loss to the Cloverdale Eagles (7-3).
Audrey Pasalo went 2-for-2 with a double for the Knights (5-5, 7-9), who were out-hit 21-5 by the Eagles.
Cloverdale finished off the Knights with a 12-run fourth inning.
Kelseyville’s task doesn’t get any easier Tuesday when it visits undefeated league leader St. Helena (10-0). The Knights return home next Friday to play Willits.
