Clear Lake ends GHV’s season with 17-7 victory in first round

(Above) Clear Lake’s Bella Parker slides safely into home just in time as GHV’s Megan Oetken catches the throw.  -Reporter photo by Chris Barragy

by Marianne Gasaway

Scorekeepers were kept busy Wednesday night during a high-scoring contest between Clear Lake and Garner-Hayfield-Ventura.  The Lions hosted the first round post-season game and topped GHV, 17-7, to move on.

“I was really proud of the way the girls showed up tonight,” said Clear Lake Coach Austin Peterson.  “They had energy throughout the whole game both on the defensive and offensive side of the ball. I was really proud of the turn out we had from the community also.”

GHV opened up scoring in the first inning when Megan Oetken homered on a 1-1 count, scoring Trinity Smith and Jayden Hughes, who each reached base on a single.

The Lions were also quick to strike.  They plated two runs in the opening frame.  Julia Merfeld opened with a bunt single, advanced on a sacrifice fly from Layne Lester, and scored on a double by Sara Faber.  A single by Kaylee Nosbisch moved Faber to third and she scored after tagging up on a Macy Mixdorf fly ball, making the score 3-2.

The Lions kept their foot on the gas with four runs in the second to take a 6-3 lead after two innings.  Mikayla VanderPloeg and Kennadi Colbert singled, as well as Merfeld, who got an RBI with her hit.  Lester hit a fly ball and reached on a error, scoring Colbert.  A double by Nosbisch scored Lester and a Cardinal error provided another run.

The Cardinals got two back in the top of the third when an error and a walk put Oetken and Jailyn Krein aboard. Nicole Upmeyer’s bunt scored a run and Maddie Graham’s ground out brought in another to make the score 6-5.

Clear Lake again responded with hits to put some distance between themselves and the Cards.  They scored two runs in the bottom of the third for a 8-5 advantage.  The firepower was provided by Vanderploeg and Merfeld.

GHV began to fizzle in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring only single runs in each.

Meanwhile, the Lions were just getting warmed up.  They plated four runs in the bottom of the fourth and five in the sixth to win by the 10-run rule in the bottom of the sixth.

Singles by Macy Mixdorf and Chelsey Holck, as well as Cardinal errors scored the Lions’ first two runs in the fourth.  Bella Parker smashed her first home run to plate two more runs.

Holck doubled to start off the sixth and scored on a ground out.  Parker continued to swing a hot bat and singled on a pop fly to keep the inning alive.  Merfeld and Lester both reached on errors and Parker and Merfeld scored on a line drive single by Faber.  Two more runs came in when Nosbisch singled on a fly ball.

Merfeld, Nosbisch, Parker, VanderPloeg, Faber and Holck all collected multiple hits for the Lions.

Hughes went two-for-four at the plate to lead the Cardinals.

Autumn Vanhorn was credited with the victory for Clear Lake.  She allowed five hits and seven runs over five innings, striking out one.  Ashlyn Fread threw on inning in relief.

Graham took the loss for GHV.  She went three and two-thirds innings, allowing 12 runs on 13 hits and walking one.  Kylie Hughes came in an threw two innings.  She gave up five runs on four hits.

“The girls were very aggressive on the bases and made adjustments at the plate.  They (Lions) made a couple of diving plays and just took the winds out of our sails and gave themselves momentum. Clear Lake is a great team and we can learn from playing strong teams who go all out on every play of the game,” said GHV Coach Kaitlin Murphy.  “We will miss our seniors and we wish the best of luck to them in the future.

Humboldt 10, CL 0

The Lions prepped for the post-season by taking on one of the best teams in the state on Monday, July 8.  Humboldt avenged an earlier loss to Clear Lake with a 10-0 score.

Coming off a little five day break, the Lions looked a little sluggish versus Humboldt.

The Lions worked out of a jam in the first inning, but couldn’t keep Humboldt off balance.

On offense, Clear Lake players couldn’t seem to find the bats.  They went hitless and some costly miscues in the field led to the loss.

Humboldt gained momentum with a two run homerun in the second inning, and followed it up with a big third inning in which they scored six runs.

“We looked like we were coming back from a few days off.  We just weren’t ready to go at the plate or in the field,” said Coach Austin Peterson.