Patino, Cruz named to All-Tournament team after 7-4, 5-3 victories
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CLOVERDALE >> Sophia Gonzales won her first high school start, throwing a complete game in a 7-4 win over Piner, and Amelie Davis slugged her second home run of the season later Saturday in a 5-3 win over Winters as the Clear Lake High School softball team clinched third place in the annual Cloverdale Tournament.
Clear Lake (6-2) will certainly need all of that momentum and more as it now heads into its North Central League I schedule, which opens Friday with a road game at St. Helena against the three-time defending league champion.
While the Cardinals still need to clean up some things on defense, according to head coach Scott Schaefers, Clear Lake’s head coach couldn’t have more pleased with his team’s two games Saturday as the Cardinals rallied from behind in both games.
Against Piner during action early Saturday morning, Clear Lake scored four times in the bottom of the fourth to erase a 3-1 Piner advantage. Following singles by Cali Albaum (1-for-3) and Ashlynn Cruz (1-for-2), Lindee Bingham (2-for-3) singled home a run. Kam Cresto (1-for-2) followed with a two-run triple to put Clear Lake in front to stay at 4-3, and she later score on a wild pitch to make it 5-3.
That was enough run support for Gonzales, who went on to throw a five-hitter with one strikeout and two walks.
“It was very pleasant to see her go out there and pitch very for us,” Schaefers said of Gonzales. “She kept us in the game so that we could come from behind.”
While senior pitcher Atiana Patino is Clear Lake’s ace, Schaefers said he plans on using both pitchers during the Cardinals’ 14-game league schedule.
“It’s a luxury having two pitchers,” Schaefers said.
Piner closed to 5-4 in the top of the fifth before Clear Lake picked up its final two runs in the bottom half.
Bingham, the only Clear Lake player with more than one hit, doubled and led the Cardinals with three RBIs. Patino went 1-for-4 with a double, her fourth double of the tournament. Other hits went to Davis (RBI) and Karsyn Greer.
“Piner was aggressive on the bases,” Schaefers said. “We haven’t experienced that in quite a while.”
In Clear Lake’s late game against Winters, Patino pitched a six-inning complete game as the contest hit the tournament time limit. She scattered seven hits, struck out two and walked four.
After Winters jumped out to 2-0 lead in the top of the first, the Cardinals answered with five straight runs – one in the second, three in the third and one in the fifth – to go up 5-2. Davis’ two-run shot to center field in the third put Clear Lake ahead to stay at 3-2. Greer (2-for-3) singled prior to the home run.
“She was smiling as she was rounding the bases,” Schaefers said. “Even the Fortuna players (who were warming up nearby) were cheering for her.”
Albaum joined Greer with two hits in the game. Bingham, Davis, Faith McIntire and Maddie Kollach had the others.
Solid shortstop play from Cruz over the final three innings helped the Cardinals nail down the win.
“She turned it on,” Schaefers said of Cruz’s glovework.
Cruz and Patino were Clear Lake’s All-Tournament selections.
