Cloverdale teams log limited diamond duty in wet spring
Cloverdale varsity softball and baseball teams will resume a blustery spring campaign this week following a series of storms, well rested and aware of one longstanding truth – you can’t beat Mother Nature.
Both programs were rained out of one game last week, getting in limited work at Fort Bragg on April 5. The Lady Eagles (7-2, 2-0) notched a convincing 11-2 road win, while the boys (1-5, 0-2) slogged through a disappointing 11-0 loss to the Timberwolves in five innings.
At press time Cloverdale teams were preparing for a two-game road swing, beginning on April 11 at Clear Lake. The Lady Eagles will take on the defending champion Cardinals, while the boys look to get off the schneid for their first league win.
On Friday, April 14, the teams will ride the bus for a road clash at St. Helena before returning to the friendly confines to host Willits on Tuesday, April 18. All games start at 4 p.m.
Ladies on a roll
The girls, winners of seven of their last eight ballgames, have hit their midseason stride this month and have their sights set squarely on league supremacy.
“It’s always good to win in Fort Bragg, we hit the ball very well (recording 18 hits),” CHS veteran coach Margaret Fitzgerald said. “We’re at that point in the season where we need to concentrate on one game at a time.”
The Lady Eagles sent ace pitcher Tehya Bird to the hill in the April 5 visit to Fort Bragg and the talented freshman responded with yet another sparking performance.
Bird baffled Timberwolves’ hitters with an assortment of pitches through the first three shutout innings as Cloverdale opened up a 4-0 lead. The Eagles answered a solo run by Fort Bragg in the fourth with a five-run explosion in the sixth to effectively ice the contest en route to an 11-2 rout.
Bird (7 IP, 4 hits, 2 ERs, 7 Ks) was masterful in victory, while leading hitters included Heather Sterling (4 for 5, 4 runs), Aly Bernal (2 for 3, 2B, 2 runs), Josie Marrufo (2 for 5, run, RBI), Bird (2 for 4, 2B, 3 runs, 2 RBIs), Lane Hughes (2 for 5, run, 3 RBIs), Angelina Campos (2 for 5, RBI), Hannah Bireschi (1 for 4, 2 RBIs), Nicky Martinez (1 for 4) and Alma Beltran (1 for 4).
