YREKA – The Yreka Lady Miners (6-4, 14-14) closed out their Northern Athletic League season with a make up game win over the Corning Lady Cardinals 7-3, on Thursday. The outcome of the game will likely have significant NSCIF D-IV playoff implications.

Corning (5-5, 19-15) came into the week ranked third in playoff points, Yreka was ranked fifth, with Willows (16-11) ranked fourth. Willows won its last game, Corning split in its last two games, and Yreka won its final two games. By NSCIF rule, since Yreka finished higher than Corning in league, Yreka must be seeded above Corning. That likely means, based on section actions in the past, that Willows will move to a three-seed, Yreka would be fourth, and Corning will drop to fifth. There is also an outside chance that Yreka may move to a three-seed, depending on the final strength of schedule rankings. Then again, the selection committee, which meets on Saturday, May 10, is far from predictable.

Although playing at home, Yreka was the visiting team in its game against Corning. Earlier in the season, umpires did not show up for a scheduled game in Corning, leading to Corning playing a make up game in Yreka, where the Cardinals were the “home” team. Of course, the crowd thought otherwise.

With one down in the top of the first, Kaitlin Weckerle reached on an error for the Lady Miners. Sara Jones followed with a single, and Weckerle went to third. Both Lady Miners scored on a single by Ashlie Smith, to put Yreka up 2-0.

Lady Cardinal Erin Lowe was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom half of the inning. Britany Silva reached on an error by Yreka’s third baseman, giving Corning runners on first and second base. Both Cardinals moved up a base, when Yreka’s catcher overthrew her pitcher after a pitch. Jessica Flores drove in both runners with a single, tying the game at 2-2, after one inning.

Both teams went down in order in the second inning. Loren Young led off the top of the third with a single for Yreka, and advanced to second on a steal. Weckerle singled to right field, scoring Young. Weckerle attempted to go all the way to third, when the ball went past Corning’s outfielder, but was thrown out. With two gone, Smith singled and stole second base. Amber Sinnott followed with an RBI single, making it 4-2. Corning was retired 1-2-3 in the bottom half.

Stephanie Leyva singled, and continued to second on an error by the Cardinal’s left-fielder. Makayla Lindley ran for Leyva. Lindley moved to third base, when Tiffany Berginger grounded out, and scored on Erica Pellizer’s ground out, making it 5-2.

Flores ripped a double to open up the bottom half of the inning, and then scored on an error by Yreka’s shortstop. At the end of four full innings, it was Yreka 5-Corning 3.

Neither squad mounted a threat in the fifth or sixth innings.

Pellizer led off the top of the seventh for Yreka with a double. Beth Franklin ran for Pellizer. With one out, Weckerle singled, and Franklin moved to third base. Jones singled up the middle scoring Franklin and Weckerle. Jones continued to third on an error by the Corning center-fielder. Yreka appeared on the verge of a huge inning, but Jones was doubled off of third base, when Smith flew out to left-field.

Trailing 7-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Corning’s Rylee Verdun took a lead off walk. Jessica Bonilla reached on a fielder’s choice, when Verdun was forced out at second. Michelle Silva walked to give the Cardinals runners on first and second, with one out. It seamed that the Lady Cardinals were about to make a comeback, when Michelle Silva blasted a shot to deep center-field, but Weckerle manage to run it down for the out.

Yreka, however, was not out of the woods just yet. Lowe hit a sharp single to left field, and it appeared Corning would plate a run, and continue the rally. Yreka left-fielder Young had a different plan, as she gunned the ball towards home. Jones made the relay throw to Sinnott at the plate, who tagged out Bonilla to end the game. Yreka’s big defensive plays may have come just in time, with Corning’s number-two hitter on deck, and their top hitter Flores in the hole.

Smith led Yreka’s offensive attack, going 2-4, with a run, two RBI, and two steals. Jones went 2-4, with a run, an RBI, and a steal. Weckerle was 2-4, with two runs. Pellizer went 1-3, with a run, an RBI, and a double. Kayla Graves had an excellent game from the circle, with a complete game win (7IP, 3R, 3H, 3BB, 4K, HB).

For Corning, Flores did most of the damage, going 2-3, with a run, two RBI, and a double. Lowe went 1-3, with a run, and was hit by a pitch. Flores took the loss for the Cardinals, despite striking out 10 Lady Miners (7IP, 7R, 10H, 0BB, 10K).