Middletown softball opens season with 15-1 loss at Healdsburg
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LAKEPORT >> Atiana Patino allowed just two hits and struck out eight while pitching the Clear Lake Cardinals to a 14-1 non-league win over Credo in non-league softball action Wednesday afternoon in Lakeport.
Patino, a senior, also had a solid day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs as the Cardinals improved to 2-0.
“Ati pitched really well,” Clear Lake head coach Scott Schaefers said.
Clear Lake broke the game open with an eight-run bottom of the second inning to go up 9-0, at which point Schaefers emptied his bench.
“We had a lot of people in the game,” Schaefers said. “It’s nice to get the people who have worked so hard in practice some playing time.”
The Cardinals, led by Patino, finished with nine hits, including a two-run triple by Anjoli Scott. Amelie Davis (1-for-3) added a double and two RBIs while Faith McIntire (1-for-2) also knocked in two runs. Karsyn Greer (1-for-2, RBI), Ashlynn Cruz (1-for-3, RBI) and Lindee Bingham (1-for-1, RBI) had the other Clear Lake hits.
“We cut down our errors, but we need to work on some mental mistakes that we made and our baserunning,” Schaefers said. “As long as we continue our upward trend, I’m good with that.”
Schaefers said he likes the team’s compliment of seniors and younger players.
“It’s a good mix,” he said.
Clear Lake is on the road Friday to play Calistoga at 3:30 p.m.
In other softball action Wednesday:
Healdsburg 15, Middletown 1 (5 inn.)
At Healdsburg, too many walks, hit batters, wild pitches and fielding errors proved an unworkable combination for the Middletown Mustangs in a season-opening non-league loss to the Healdsburg Greyhounds, who scored the game’s final 15 runs.
Middletown (0-1) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the rest of the game belonged to Healdsburg, including an eight-run bottom of the first. The Greyhounds (1-1) added three more runs in the second and four in the fourth.
The game was called after the top of the fifth because of the 10-run mercy rule.
Middletown was limited to three hits, including solid singles into center field by Ally Cherry in the top of the second inning and Chesnie Henry in the fifth.
Ash Thompson was the losing pitcher.
The Mustangs aren’t scheduled to play again until March 17 at home against Justin-Siena at 4 p.m.
