Season comes to a close for Clear Lake softball team

(Above) Clear Lake’s Chloe Mueller eyes home plate during Wednesday night’s game against GHV.  Playing third base for the Cardinals is Abby Kale.  -Reporter photo by Chris Barragy

The Clear Lake girls put themselves in a position to challenge Spirit Lake in the Class 3A Region 2 semi-final Friday night, but saw their season end with a 10-5 loss.

“We are young and we made young mistakes,” said Lions Coach Austin Peterson.  “We put ourselves in a position to win, but didn’t execute.”

The loss ended the Lions’ season with a 14-14 record, their first season at or above .500 since 2004.  That achievement was recognized by the coach, who said “the program is turning around and now we have to put in the work in the off-season to keep it going.”  Peterson credited the teams’ two seniors, outfielder Michaela Niles and pitcher Kiersten Baalson, with their dedication to the game and providing a good example to their teammates.  “These two seniors were out for softball as eighth graders when I started here.  They stuck with it and have helped the program,” he said.

Against Spirit Lake the Lions did exactly what their coach was hoping- jump out to an early lead and keep ranked Spirit Lake off balance.

Clear Lake scored two runs on three Spirit Lake errors in the second inning and two more in the top of the third when Chloe Mueller reached base on an infield single and advanced on a bunt from Michaela Niles.  Sara Faber was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game and Kaylee Nosbisch loaded the bases with a bunt single.  A dropped third strike to Rachel Barillas and bad throw to first allowed two Lion runs to score.

Spirit Lake bats and some miscues in the field by the Lions resulted in a tie ball game heading into the fourth inning.

The Lions put a finger in the dike with one more run in the fourth.  They tried to rattle the home team and left the bases loaded in the frame.

Spirit Lake scored three runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth and never looked back.  Three more in the sixth sealed the 10-5 Spirit Lake win.

Kiersten Baalson was the losing pitcher.  She gave up 10 runs on 11 hits.  She walked two and struck out two.

The Lions committed two errors and stranded nine runners in the game.

Spirit Lake had four errors and left six.

“Spirit Lake is a good team and we battled and had our chances.  I am proud of the way the girls played and the way they played all season long,” said Coach Peterson.