Cloverdale beats Clear Lake in five-inning North Central League I softball action
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CLOVERDALE >> The Clear Lake Cardinals were able to avoid the shutout at the hands of the Cloverdale on Tuesday afternoon in Cloverdale, which is about all their two hits bought them in an 11-1, five-inning lost to the Eagles in North Central League I softball action at Cloverdale.
Singles by Abbi Malley and Atiana Patino in the top of the third inning produced the Cardinals’ lone run against winning pitcher Camryn Bird, who worked four innings for the victory, striking out seven and walking three. Grace Rhodes pitched a scoreless fifth inning for the Eagles, who moved to 3-0 in league play and 8-2 overall.
“Basically, we’re just not hitting right now,” Clear Lake head coach Scott Schaefers said. “We should be hitting.”
Schaefers said Bird wasn’t 100 percent, but the Cardinals (1-2, 7-4) couldn’t do much against her.
“She was having an ankle issue,” Schaefers said of Cloverdale’s sophomore ace. “She struggled at times, but we’re not consistent enough (at the plate) to take advantage.”
Cloverdale had a 4-0 lead by the time Clear Lake scored in the top of the third. Malley singled, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error on the play. Patino then singled her home. The Eagles answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning for a 7-1 lead and added three more runs in the fourth and another in the fifth, at which point the game was stopped because of the 10-run mercy rule.
“I’m relieved that we still have a lot of time left to correct that problem,” Schaefers said of the Cardinals’ lack of offense.
Patino pitched a complete game for the Cardinals, allowing 11 hits and eight earned runs while striking out four and walking two.
Clear Lake returns home Thursday to play archrival Kelseyville at 4 p.m.