CROCKETT — In what may have been the final game for Steve Olson as the Kelseyville High School varsity baseball coach, the Indians fell 9-1 to John Swett in the opening round of the North Coast Section Class A playoffs on Wednesday in Crockett.
“I”m planning to step down,” Olson said. “If I return next year it will be in a limited capacity. I”d like to help out (assistant coaches) Lou (Poloni) or Rob Young, but I”ll take a lot smaller role. I don”t want to leave it (the program) without people taking over. I don”t think that will be a problem.”
John Swett, the No. 3 playoff seed after finishing second in the Bay Shore Athletic League this season, didn”t even start its ace — hard-throwing senior Jonathan Van Looy — against the Indians, instead turning to sophomore Kyle Edmunds, whose forte is the curve, according to Olson.
Edmunds worked the first six innings and allowed the Indians” lone run, a sacrifice fly by Scott Krohn that scored Curt Lawson in the top of the sixth inning, making it 7-1.
Van Looy did pitch the seventh.
John Swett (19-4) will host No. 7 seed Salesian in the semifinals on Saturday.
“They swing the bat real well and they run,” Olson said. “Physically we got overmatched and it”s been that way for us at times this season. But I”m proud of the way my guys hung in there to grab a co-championship. That”s something no one can take away from us.”
Kelseyville (12-8) tied Middletown for the North Central League I North title. Middletown (18-4) hosts No. 1 seed Justin-Siena today at 3:30 p.m. in the semifinals at Wes Martin Field.
John Swett went ahead to stay with two runs in the bottom of the first against losing pitcher Ben Olson, who went 6 2/3 innings. Single runs in the third and fourth and three in the fifth made it a 7-0 game. After Krohn”s sacrifice fly cut that lead to 7-1 in the top of the sixth, John Swett added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Olson, a senior, struck out four and walked six in his final high school game.
Poloni, Lawson, Jaime Chavez, Luke Woodward and Scott Luis each had a hit for the Indians.
Olson”s 19 seasons on the job — he took over the Kelseyville program in 1988 — make him senior in terms of years of service among Lake County”s baseball coaches. After suffering through some lean years in the early 1990s, Olson turned the Indians into the county”s top program and they haven”t finished any worse than tied for second in the NCL I standings since 1997.
In fact, since 1997, the Indians have finished second three times (1998, ”99 and 2004), co-champions three times (2001, ”02 and ”06) and champions three times (2000, ”03 and ”05).
