Defending NCS champs move up to Division 4 this season
Softball season has arrived for the Cloverdale Lady Eagles, and they’re looking to continue a run of success that has been nearly unequaled among high school sports programs.
The Eagles will have a tough act to follow after a storybook ending to the 2018 season, defeating St. Vincent, 7-6 in a dramatic comeback to capture the North Coast Section Division 5 championship. The NCS title was the 10th for veteran head coach Margaret Fitzgerald and first since 2010.
The defending NCL 1 champions may be even better this season as they return nine veterans to this year’s squad, including some of the top players in the Redwood Empire.
Heading the list of varsity returnees is third-year junior all-state pitcher Tehya Bird, who hit a gaudy .667 last year while compiling a 19-1 mark with a 1.01 earned run average, fanning 136 batters in 118 innings pitched.
She’ll be joined by a strong nucleus of talent that includes junior catcher Lane Hughes (.447 BA), senior infielder Heather Sterling (.472 BA), sophomore infielder Vanessa Fisher (.472 BA), senior infielder Nicky Martinez (.316 BA), sophomore outfielder Janaye Hammond (.321 BA), senior outfielder Aly Bernal, sophomore infielder Alyssa Moffett and senior outfielder Angelina Cordova.
“That ‘Big 3’ of Tehya Bird, Lane Hughes and Heather Sterling will need the support of their teammates for the Eagles to have a successful season,” head coach Margaret Fitzgerald noted, assisted by veteran coach Pat Fitzgerald. We return nine players from last years team which is great, however we have added some depth.”
Bolstering the team are four varsity newcomers that include sophomore outfielder Faith Holloman (JV call-up last year), sophomores Kayli King and Ahnna Randolph and junior first baseman/DH Maci Hernandez.
The Eagles’ success has prompted NCS officials to move the team up one division this year for the post-season tournament, competing as a Division 4 team for the playoffs.
Cloverdale opens with a win
The Lady Eagles wasted no time in recording their first victory, notching an 8-2 win over host Santa Rosa in the season opener on March 7. Bird went the distance, scattering 11 hits and yielding two earned runs while fanning three for the win. Top hitters were Hughes (3 for 3, 2 RBIs), Sterling (2 for 3, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBIs), Bird (1 for 1, HR, 3 runs, 2 RBIs), Martinez (1 for 4, RBI) and Hernandez (1 for 1, run).
Cloverdale tourney on tap
The Eagles will host the annual Cloverdale Tournament this Friday and Saturday (March 15-16) and will include one of the strongest fields in years. Participating teams are El Molino, Fortuna, St. Mary’s, Clear Lake, St. Vincent, Head Royce and Berean Christian. Cloverdale will open the tourney on Friday in a 2 p.m. clash with El Molino.
