Kelseyville drops 12-2 decision in five innings to St. Helena
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FORT BRAGG >> Freshman Amelie Davis hit her third home run of the season, a solo shot, and the Clear Lake Cardinals withstood a late charge by Fort Bragg to beat the Timberwolves 10-9 in North Central League I softball action Friday in Fort Bragg.
After spotting Fort Bragg a 5-0 lead, Clear Lake (1-1 league, 7-3 overall) reeled off 10 straight runs, the first coming on Davis’s home run in the top of the third followed by a nine-run fourth. The Timberwolves (1-2, 2-7) closed the gap with a four-run sixth, but winning pitcher Atiana Patino worked a 1-2-3 seventh to preserve the victory.
Patino struck out seven and walked three.
“They played well, we just need to be more consistent with our at-bats and fielding,” Clear Lake head coach Scott Schaefers said of the Cardinals.
Cali Albaum (3-for-4) doubled home a run while Ashlynn Cruz (3-for-4) also knocked in a run for Clear Lake. Davis ended up 2-for-3 with two RBIs while Karsyn Green went 1-fo-4 with two RBIs. Faith McIntire (1-for-4) also knocked in a run. Abbi Malley had Clear Lake’s other hit.
The Cardinals travel to Cloverdale on Tuesday before returning home Thursday to take on Kelseyville. Both games start at 4 p.m.
In other NCL I softball action Friday:
Lower Lake 8, Middletown 7
At Lower Lake, in a game they trailed almost the entire way, including deficits of 5-1 and 7-3, the Lower Lake Trojans scored five times in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat the Middletown Mustangs.
Freshman Shayla McGrath’s two-run single and a run-scoring throwing error on the play tied the score at 7-7 in the bottom of the sixth. With McGrath at third base, Heidi Ortega singled home what proved to be the winning run.
Winning pitcher Crystal Pepper worked a scoreless top of the seventh to nail down the victory.
“Great teams find a way to win,” Lower Lake head coach Julie Jackson said. “We didn’t start out great, but we didn’t give up.”
Jackson said the Trojans had scoring chances earlier in the game but couldn’t take advantage.
“We should have been doing that all game,” Jackson said.
Middletown scored twice in the top of the sixth to go up 7-3.
Both pitchers – Pepper (10 strikeouts, five walks) and Middletown’s Taluelah Madrid (five strikeouts, four walks) — went the distance.
Eden Sparks went 2-for-4 with a double for Lower Lake while Jamiya Lee-Ayers went 2-for-3 with two doubles and a RBI. McGrath, Pepper, Ortega, Maddy Garner and Hailee McRae also had hits.
Lower Lake is 2-2 in league and 3-5 overall.
For Middletown (0-3, 1-4), Sarah Fetter went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs, Autumn Clark went 2-for-4 with a RBI, Ally Cherry went 2-for-3 with a triple and Madrid went 2-for-2 with a double.
Both teams take next week off before returning to action. Middletown hosts Fort Bragg on Monday, April 13 while Lower Lake hosts Clear Lake on Tuesday, April 14.
St. Helena 12, Kelseyville 2 (5 inn.)
At St. Helena, the three-time defending league champions 10-runned the Kelseyville Knights in five innings.
St. Helena (3-0, 6-5) led 8-1 after two innings.
“We got beat by a well-coached and fundamentally sound team,” Kelseyville head coach Brittany Rumfelt said.
Morgan Rogers (1-for-2) singled home a run for the Knights, who scored in the second and fourth innings against winning pitcher Ada Blanton.
The Knights (1-2, 2-7) finished with five hits. Madison Byrne went 2-for-2 while other singles went to Rogers, Jordyn Wurm (1-for-2), Madison Byrne (1-for-2) and Josie Keithly (1-for-2).
Among the bright spots for the Knights were a play in the field by shortstop Ashlyn Wurm and catcher Jordyn Wurm cutting down a St. Helena runner at third base.
“Matisyn Mateer was sick and gave her all, doing great in center,” Rumfelt said.
Starting pitcher AJ Wurm took the loss.
Kelseyville returns to action Thursday in Lakeport against Clear Lake at 4 p.m.