Caruthers pounces on Cardinal blunders

LINDSAY — The Cardinal softball team continued the tough trend epitomizing the Orange Belt’s playoffs, Friday.

Fifth-seeded Caruthers took a six-run lead — mostly off Lindsay errors — in the fourth inning and cruised to an 8-2 Division V quarterfinal victory.

The loss halts the ESL-champion Cardinals’ 11-game win streak and brings the Orange Belt to 0-4 in softball quarterfinals.

“We kicked the ball today. Simple as that,” Lindsay coach Brett Kendig said. “We didn’t make the plays. We probably (would have) had a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth. Our whole goal I told them after we got down 3-0 was to keep it at three. And if we could keep it at three for a while I thought we could get back into it.”

The No. 4 Cardinals (21-8) entered the fourth inning down 3-0 after giving up one run in each of the first three innings. But three Blue Raiders reached base after freshman shortstop Renee Alvarado had some trouble getting a handle on ground balls. 

Caruthers got its fourth run on Bailey Osmer’s bloop single that dropped into shallow right field after a miscommunication between second baseman Brittany Gutierrez and right fielder Julie Lopez. 

The Cardinals had managed to keep the damage to a minimum but couldn’t skirt out of trouble this time. 

Senior Blue Raider Heather Loflin blasted a two-run double to the left-field wall, making it 6-0. 

Senior pitcher Cassie Manning struck out four but walked seven in her final high school start. 

Kendig thought Manning’s struggles with the strike zone stemmed partially from the chaos taking place behind her.

“Pitchers rely a little bit on their defense. When the defense is sharp, the pitcher’s gonna be a little sharp,” he said. “Regardless, we could’ve won the game if we’d just played catch a little better and had a couple timely hits.”

Gutierrez drove in the Cards’ first run with a single up the middle in the fourth and the defense didn’t allow a run in the fifth, setting the stage for their lone chance to get back into the game.

The middle of Lindsay’s order came through with Manning, Rachel Marie Ruiz and Nicole Bolanos singling to load the bases for Lele Misaalefua, who had hit a grand slam this season.

Misaalefua fought off Caruthers pitcher Breeanna Loera with fouls and battled her to a full count. She would line out to second, however. 

Manning scored on the play to cut the lead to four after first baseman Osmer mishandled a throw. 

Lindsay still had the based juiced with two outs but catcher Maricela Villarreal flew out to end the frame. 

“Sometimes you only get one really good opportunity in a game,” Kendig said. “We looked like we were gonna take advantage of it, then we hit the line shot right at second. 

“Lele’s been hitting the ball hard all year and had a quality at-bat. If that ball’s two feet the other way, maybe we score two, three runs, who knows?”

Despite not packing the speed of most dominant hurlers, Loera got the outs she needed to all game long. The Cardinals, who lost 11-3 to Loera and the Blue Raiders April 7, stranded 11 runners.

“She pitched exactly how I remember from earlier in the year and from some of the scouting reports,” Kendig said. “Everybody thinks you have to throw 100 miles per hour to be effective. She’s a good example. She knows how to hit her spots and mix it up.”

Caruthers plated two more runs in the sixth inning after two more throwing errors. 

Sophomore Kelcey Knutson was 2-for-4 with a double while Manning, who will play basketball for the College of the Sequoias next season, also went 2-for-4.

Lindsay finished with the second-best win total in school history (the 2002 squad had 23).

“They’re young ladies that will never be forgotten in our school,” Kendig said. “They have the second-best record ever in our school. Pretty good accomplishment: 21 wins and ESL champs. We’re planning on being back next year.”