Cloverdale enters NCS Division 4 playoffs with 23-0 record
The Cloverdale Lady Eagles will start the final phase of the 2019 season as the team to beat this week after landing the No. 1 seed in the 12-team North Coast Section softball playoffs.
The Eagles were awarded a first-round NCS bye and will host the winner of the No. 8 Saint Mary’s versus No. 9 Justin Siena game in a quarterfinal match-up (date and time TBA).
The full list of NCS Division 4 teams in order of seeding is: Cloverdale, McKinleyville, Cardinal Newman, Salesian, St. Patrick/St. Vincent, Arcata, Piedmont, Saint Mary’s, Justin Siena, Kennedy, Berean Christian and El Molino.
Eagles run table
The Eagles finished up an unbeaten, 14-0 league season in the NCL1 finale against visiting Lower Lake on May 7, easily dispatching the Trojans in a 10-0 shutout in five innings. Cloverdale pushed across three runs in the second and another two in the third to gain separation, then plated two more in the fifth to force an early stoppage on the 10-run rule.
Tehya Bird (5 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 7 Ks) notched her 23rd win, while leading hitters were Janaye Hammond (2 for 3, 2B, run), Bird (2 for 3, 2B, run, 2 RBIs), Faith Holloman (1 for 3, run, RBI), Alyssa Moffett (1 for 2, 2 runs), Lane Hughes (1 for 3, run, RBI), Kaylee King (1 for 1, 2 runs) and Heather Sterling (1 for 2, run, 2 RBIs).
Sterling signs with college
Senior softball star Heather Sterling recently signed a letter of intent to attend Oklahoma Wesleyan University on an athletic scholarship next fall. The multi-sport star achieved immortality last season with a clutch, two-out, bases-loaded double to lift the Eagles to an NCS championship win over St. Vincent.
