Cards stop Saints, Trojans roll

Hansen falls triple shy of cycle in Mustangs' 22-5 victory

ST. HELENA >> With one run in and the potential tying run on the move from first base, Clear Lake High School pitcher Lilianna Cruz recorded the final out on an infield popup as the Cardinals closed out a 3-2 win over the previously undefeated St. Helena Saints in North Central League I softball action Friday afternoon in St. Helena.

“It's very satisfying,” Clear Lake head coach Scott Schaefers said of being the first team to beat St. Helena (8-1) in league play this season. “It was nice to see the girls take down one of the top teams. The girls were elated. This was a great confidence booster.”

St. Helena (8-1) entered play tied with Fort Bragg (9-0) for the top spot in the NCL I standings. Clear Lake (7-2 league, 11-5 overall) remains in the thick of the league race and still has one game left with Fort Bragg (May 10 in Fort Bragg). If the Cardinals win their final five league game and Fort Bragg and St. Helena split a season-ending doubleheader May 13 at Fort Bragg, the league could end up in a three-way tie.

Cruz, a hard-throwing sophomore left-hander, limited St. Helena to four hits, all singles, while striking out six and walking two. Her counterpart, St. Helena's Aribella Farrell, struck out 11 with a nasty changeup and walked one (intentionally).

“She pitched great,” Clear Lake assistant coach Marci Psalmonds said of Cruz. “Early in the season she wouldn't have been able to get through this, but today she was money.”

“Without a doubt,” Schaefers said when asked if it was Cruz's best effort of the season, especially given the opponent, the game's location and what was at stake (a loss would have knocked the Cardinals from title contention). “She was great today.”

Clear Lake jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning, both runs scoring after two were out and the bases empty. Camrin Pivniska singled with two outs, stole second and scored on a single by Raina Clifton (2-for-4), who later scored on a throwing error by the Saints.

St. Helena got one of those runs back in the bottom half of the inning and it remained a 2-1 game until the top of the sixth when singles by Clifton, Hailee Bussard (2-for-2) and Cruz (2for-3) loaded the bases with one out for Stella Hill, who brought home Clifton with a sacrifice fly to right field.

The Saints tried to rally in the seventh and did score one run. They had two hits and drew a walk in the inning, but one of those runners was erased on the bases after getting caught in a rundown.

Clear Lake is home Tuesday to face Lower Lake at 4 p.m.

In other NCL I action Friday:

Lower Lake 12, Cloverdale 0 (5 inn.)

At Lower Lake, the Lower Lake Trojans 10-runned the Cloverdale Eagles in five innings as winning pitcher Jessica Hernandez allowed just two hits, struck out six and walked none.

“I'm more proud of the shutout than 10-running them,” Lower Lake assistant coach Jeremy Mock said.

Lower Lake called up three junior varsity players for the game and one of them, outfielder Shaye Tubbs, came through in a big way, according to Mock.

“She was one of our players of the game. She made four nice catches (in left field),” Mock said. “She was huge in the outfield.”

Tubbs also drove in a run as the Trojans improved to 3-8 in league play and 4-9 overall.

“No attitude or excuses, something we've been struggling with all season,” Mock said of the difference he noticed Friday with some new blood in the lineup. “We also took seven walks. Not taking walks has been one of our problems this season.”

In addition to throwing a two-hitter — both Cloverdale hits came in the second inning — Hernandez went 2-for-4 with a RBI. The Trojans scored five times in the bottom of the third before busting the game wide open with a seven-run fourth, sending 12 batters to the plate.

Nayeli Santana (2-for-3) drove in three Lower Lake runs and Becca Theodorou (1-for-2) knocked in two. Norma Trimble and Mackenzie Smith also had RBIs.

Lower Lake is on the road Tuesday to play Clear Lake at 4 p.m.

Middletown 22, Willits 5 (5 inn.)

At Willits, Emma Hansen fell a triple shy of hitting for the cycle as the Middletown Mustangs collected 11 hits, five of them for extra bases, in routing the Willits Wolverines in a five-inning game.

Hansen went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run as part of a six-run Middletown second inning and a two-run double during a five-run third. Gracie Wagner also had a bases-loaded triple as the Mustangs improved to 5-6 in league play and 6-11 overall.

Winning pitcher Shaylynn Sims allowed six hits, struck out four and walked three. She also helped herself at the plate by gong 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Teammate Harper Moreno also doubled twice.

“The bats were out and working hard today,” Middletown head coach Bob Gunion said. “We kind of let loose at the plate.”

Middletown scored at least three runs in every inning.

The Mustangs return to action Monday at home against Kelseyville at 4 p.m., a game moved up from Tuesday. The Mustangs remain home next Friday to play Fort Bragg.

Fort Bragg 15, Kelseyville 5 (5 inn.)

At Fort Bragg, with Fort Bragg ace pitcher Cassiti Baroni out of the lineup after being ejected Tuesday in a 17-2 win at Lower Lake, Kelseyville was able to make some noise against her replacement, Emmi Paoli, but the Timberwolves rallied from a 5-3 deficit to handily beat the Knights in five innings.

With their win and St. Helena's 3-2 loss to Clear Lake, the Timberwolves (90) took over sole possession of first place in the league standings. Fort Bragg has five games left, including one against Clear Lake (72) and two against St. Helena (8-1).

Fort Bragg scored four times in the bottom of the fourth to take a 7-5 lead, then won the game with an eight-run fifth — at which point the 10-run rule came into effect.

“She did well up until the last inning and we just kind of fell apart,” Kelseyville head coach Julie Jackson said of starting pitchery Jayden Paulich, who struck out three, walked four and hit two.

Trailing 3-0 after two innings, the Knights rallied in front with a two-run third and a three-run top of the fourth.

Freshman Olivia Hommer led Kelseyville with a pair of hits, one of them a double, two RBIs and a stolen base. Audrey Pasalo also had two hits while Paulich had a double.

Kelseyville is on the road Monday at Middletown.

Upper Lake def. Tomales (forfeit)

At Tomales, the Tomales Braves forfeited to the Upper Lake Cougars in NCL II action, Upper Lake's second forfeit win this week.

Upper Lake is 5-0 in league play and 9-6 overall.