CL girls defeat Mason City, 12-6

(Above) Kennadi Colbert fires in a throw from center field.  Reporter photo by Chris Barragy

by Marianne Gasaway

The Clear Lake girls (1-3) earned their first victory of the season Tuesday in a 12-6 non-conference tilt with Mason City.  The Lions recorded the win despite a big push by Mason City in the fourth inning.  Four of the Mohawks’ six-runs crossed home plate in the fourth.

There was plenty of action on the basepaths, as the Lions collected 16 hits and Mason City had 13.

“It was nice to see us respond from our first game where we lost in extra innings and really didn’t see our bats go.  I am glad we came out and hit and were able to hold onto the lead,” said Coach Austin Peterson.

The Lions got things moving in the first inning, when Chelsey Holck singled on a 2-2 count, scoring Kennadi Colbert, who had reached base on a single. On the next play Emeny Brattrud singled on a line drive to score Sara Faber, who doubled in her at-bat.  Holck and Brattrud each came home on a Bella Parker single with two outs.  Two more runs were scored when Julia Merfeld singled on a hard ground ball to center field.  Kaley Meyer and Parker scooted home for a 6-0 Lion lead.

Clear Lake extended the margin to 8-0 in the bottom of the third.  Layne Lester started the inning with a single and raced to third on a bunt from Merfeld.  She scored on a  wild pitch.  Merfeld, who stole second and went to third on the wild pitch, stole home.

Four more runs crossed the plate for the Lions in the bottom of the fifth.  Lester again started things off with a walk and advanced on a single for Merfeld.  Colbert also singled, scoring Lester.  Fly balls by Sara Faber and Colbert made the score 10-4.  The final two runs came on a two RBI single by Brattrud.

Ashlyn Fread toed the rubber for the Lions. She went seven innings, allowing six runs on 13 hits and striking out three.

Sara Faber, Julia Merfeld, Emeny Brattrud, Kennadi Colbert, Kaley Meyer, and Holck each had multiple hits for Clear Lake.  Merfeld and Faber each pounded out three hits to lead the team.

The Lions tore up the base paths, as three players stole at least two bases. Merfeld led the way with three.

Defensively the team was also very good.  They did not commit a single error.

Humboldt 11, CL 0

Clear Lake fell behind early and couldn’t come back in an 11-0 loss to Humboldt on Wednesday, June 17.  The Lions struggled to contain the high-powered Wildcat offense, which pounded out 14 hits in the game.

Humboldt, ranked number two in Class 3A, fired up the offense in the first inning, when a home run put the home team ahead, 2-0.  They added two more on a single and passed ball.

A double by Clear Lake’s Kennadi Colbert in the first inning was a positive for the Lions.  However, she was left stranded on base and that was as close as the Lions would get to scoring.

“Against a good team if we get a chance to put some pressure on, then we need to do that,” said Coach Peterson.  “We have to come ready to compete.  They are a good team and we have to take advantage when we have a chance. “

Colbert was two-for-three at the plate and collected two of the Lions’ four hits in the game.  Sara Faber and Bella Parker provided the other hits.

Humboldt added two runs in the third and fourth innings and three in the sixth to end the game.

Ashlyn Fread started the game for the Lions.  She allowed three hits and three runs, walking one. Alivia Hauge threw five and two-thirds innings in relief.  Humboldt smacked two home runs off the Lion battery.

Charles City 14, CL 7

The Lions’ bats were strong against another ranked team on Friday, but it wasn’t enough as Charles City prevailed, 14-7.

Clear Lake put five runs on the board in the first inning, but then were shut out until the fifth.  Meanwhile, the Comets kept chipping away at the score and broke the game open with six runs in the fifth.

In the first inning, Julia Merfeld started things off with a triple and scored on a single by  Kennadi Colbert.  With no outs, Sara Faber singled and Chelsey Holck walked to load the bases.  A wild pitch brought Colbert in to score.  Kaley Meyer picked up an RBI with a ground out that scored Faber and Bella Parker lifted a fly ball double to left that plated Holck to make the score 4-0.  The final run in the inning was provided by Delaney Eden, who doubled and scored Parker.

Charles City scored two runs in the first and two more in the second, before pulling away for good with four runs in the third inning and six in the fifth.

“We have to learn to put teams away,” said Coach Peterson.  “We had a chance after the first inning to really put pressure on and we couldn’t keep it up for the entire game. “

Ashlyn Fread started the game for the Lions.  She lasted six innings, allowing 17 hits and 14 runs while striking out two.

The Lions smacked one home run on the day. Sara Faber had a dinger in the fifth inning.

Clear Lake finished the game with 10 hits. Faber, Colbert, and Eden each racked up multiple hits.  Faber led the team with three hits in four at-bats.

Charles City had 11 stolen bases in the game and didn’t commit a single error in the field.