An exciting 10-9 victory as CL team downs GHV

Clear Lake broke a three-game losing streak with an exciting 10-9 win in eight innings over Garner-Hayfield-Ventura Thursday, June 6.   The game was  tied at 9-9 with Clear Lake batting in the bottom of the eighth inning when an error scored the winning run for the Lions.

Slow starts continue to plague the Lions.

The Cardinals fired up their offense in the first inning and put two runs on the board.  Lead-off batter Jayden Hughes took first base on a walk issued by Alivia Hauge.  A sacrifice bunt moved her to second and Nicole Upmeyer’s fly ball to center field put Hughes at third.  She scored on a passed ball.  GHV’s second run in the inning came after Megan Oetken reached base on an error.  Alexis Wilkinson came in to run for Oetken and advanced to second when Jailyn Krein singled.  Maddie Graham hit a fly ball to right field, advancing both runners and setting them up Wilkinson to score on a single by Emily VanDusseldorp.

GHV added another run in the third when Oetken singled and brought in Hughes, who had reached base on a single.  But this time the Lions responded with three runs of their own to knot the score at 3-3.  The scoring burst was started by Julia Merfeld, who singled, stole second and went to third on a single by Bella Parker.  She came home on a single hit by Sara Faber.  A single by Layne Lester brought Faber in.

As quickly as the game was tied, it was untied.  In the top of the fourth Kaitlyn Robinson hit a ground ball and made it to first on an error. A bunt by Jayden Hughes and a single by Trinity Smith loaded the bases.  Robinson came home on a passed ball to put the Cards ahead.  The bases were loaded again when Nicole Upmeyer walked.  Oetken singled to score Hughes and keep the pressure on with no outs.  Smith scored on a fielder’s choice before the Lions worked their way out of the tough inning.

GHV tacked on scores in the top of the sixth and seventh to go out in front, but the Lions battled back with two runs in the sixth and seventh to push the game to extra innings.

In the sixth, Nosbisch and Holck scored for the Lions.  Nosbisch got on base by an error and Holck singled.  Nosbisch crossed home plate on a single by Kennadi Colbert and Holck scored when GHV pitching issued a bases full walk.

GHV again took the lead in the top of seventh when Hughes

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produced a two-out single.  Pinch runner Maddie Graham took second when Emily VanDusseldorp singled and scored on a Lion error fielding a hit by Sadie Oulman.

Faber singled in the seventh and scored on a double by Mixdorf. The score was tied at 8-8 in the bottom of the seventh on a  ground ball single by Mikayla VanderPloeg that scored Mixdorf.

The game was won in the eighth when Lester singled and Colbert reached on an error.  Lester scored on a double smacked by Merfeld, making the score 10-9.  Colbert scored the winning run on a ground ball hit by Nosbisch which was bobbled.

Coach Austin Peterson said his team had multiple chances to score during the game, but couldn’t seem to find the one hit they needed until the end.

“It was nice to see us pull it off,” he said.  “We are just working on consistency from game to game and inning to inning.”

Clear Lake had 15 hits in the game, while the Cards connected for 10.   Merfeld, Lester, Faber and Mixdorf all collected multiple hits for the Lions.  Emily Van Dusseldorp led GHV with two hits in five at-bats.

Rachel Thornton got the win for the Lions.  She went four innings, allowing two runs on three hits, striking out three and walking zero.  Ashlyn Fread threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen. Alivia Hauge started the game for Clear Lake.  She surrendered three runs on four hits over three innings, striking out one.

Maddie Graham started the game for GHV.  She gave up six runs on 10 hits over five and two-thirds innings.  Kylie Hughes took the loss for the Cards.  She went one and two-thirds innings, allowing four runs on five hits.

The win put the Lions at 3-3 for the season.

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