CL girls finish strong

(Above) Clear Lake pitcher Kiersten Baalson got the win on the mound for the Lions.  Baalson gave up six runs, three of them earned on seven hits.  She walked two and struck out two.  -Reporter photos by Chris Barragy

“It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish” -lyrics from the Broadway musical “Seesaw.”

The Clear Lake girls softball team seemed to peak at just the right time.  The Lions played Estherville-Lincoln Central Monday night in a Regional final for a chance to go to State.  ELC came back from a 7-0 deficit to take down fourth ranked Spirit Lake, 8-7, in their quarterfinal matchup.

The Lions (11-17) opened tournament play by knocking off 13th ranked Cresco on the Cadets’ home field in the Class 3A Region 2 quarterfinal.  Next they avenged a 10-0 loss to Osage by dumping the Green Devils, 7-6.

CL 11, Crestwood 7

The Lions came out swinging against Crestwood, a team which blanked them 10-0 in the first round of post-season play last year.  This time Clear Lake pounded out 17 hits and never trailed after the first inning.

The Lions opened the game by scoring a run, when Macy Mixdorf hit a double to score Julia Merfeld.  Crestwood answered in the bottom of the first to make it 2-1.  After that, it was all Clear Lake, with the Lions scoring two in the second, four in the third, three in the fifth, and another run in the sixth.

They held off a seventh-inning Crestwood rally to get the win.

“It was a great win for us and this program,” said Coach Austin Peterson.  “Clear Lake had not won a tournament game since 2010.  We came in wanting the win and the girls did everything they could do to win it.  I am proud of their effort.”

Junior pitcher Kiersten Baalson withstood the pressure and posted the win.  She struck out three and walked one. The Cadets recorded 11 hits in the game.

“Kiersten pitched great.  She kept them off balance and was able to battle through to the end,” said the coach. “That first inning she could have faulted, but she just kept going. She battled through it, did what we asked, she hit her spots, and it’s nice to get the W here.”

Four Lions had three hits in the game.  Eighth grader Sara Faber, freshmen Kaylee Nosbisch and Macy Mixdorf and sophomore Kayla Ritter were the heart of the offense.  Eighth grader Julia Merfeld and senior Tori Fyfe each had two hits.

Faber’s two doubles in the game helped her tally an amazing six RBIs in the game.  Her double in the fifth cleared the bases.

CL 7, Osage 6

What a difference a few weeks makes.  Back on June 18 Osage blanked the Lions 10-0 in five innings, but in the regional semifinal Friday night in Mason City, the tables were turned.  The Lions scored in five of the seven innings and came out on top, 8-7.

Sara Faber set the tone for the game with a two-run homer in the top of the first inning.  Faber scored Kaylee Nosbisch, who had reached on an Osage error.

The game went back and forth, as the Green Devils also sent two runs across home plate in the first, helped by the first of five Lion errors in the game, but Clear Lake regained the lead with a run in the second.  Chloe Mueller started the inning with a base hit, then advanced on Kayla Ritter’s sacrifice bunt and a ground out.  Erin O’Tool’s base hit scored Mueller for a 3-2 lead.

With two out in the bottom of the third another Lion error allowed Osage to tie the score 3-3.

There was more back and forth in the fourth, as Clear Lake took the lead on an RBI double off the bat of Erin O’Tool.  O’Tool’s blast scored Tori Fyfe, who had reached on a walk.  In the bottom of the inning the Green Devils threatened again, as first and second base were filled on errors.  A base hit scored a run to make the score 4-4.

Macy Mixdorf opened the fifth inning with a base hit up the middle, then advanced to third on a line-drive hit off the bat of Rachel Barillas.  A wild pitch scored Mixdorf to again put

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