NAPA — Jared Templeton carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the fifth inning but the Kelseyville Knights, who built an early 3-0 lead, fell 4-3 to Justin-Siena in non-league varsity baseball action on Saturday at Justin-Siena High School.
It was the season opener for the Knights (0-1) and the debut of new head coach Morgan Weiper, a 1999 Kelseyville High grad. He replaces 20-year veteran Steve Olson, who stepped down at the conclusion of the 2006 campaign.
“We looked pretty good, a lot better than I expected,” said Weiper, who is the son of Kelseyville athletic director Stan Weiper. “We were without a starting outfielder and our starting first baseman, guys who happen to be two of our better hitters, but the guys who filled in did well.”
Mitchell Preston drew a start in right field and made the most of it, going 1-for-3 with a RBI and also making a couple of fine plays in the outfield, according to Weiper.
“He made a couple of real good plays,” Weiper said.
Kelseyville staked Templeton to a 3-0 lead with a run in the top of the first and two more in the second. Brandon Nielson singled home the Knights” run in the first and Joe Gatlyn and Scott Luis added RBIs in the second.
Templeton shut down the Braves until the fifth when they broke through with two runs.
“He kind of ran out of juice, but even the hits he gave up weren”t struck all that well,”
Weiper said. “For a first start, he pitched a good game.”
After closing to 3-2 in the fifth, Justin-Siena, with an assist from the Kelseyville defense, tallied twice more in the sixth to go up 4-3.
Weiper inherits a team with 10 seniors, one junior and one sophomore. A handful haven”t played organized baseball in quite a few years, Weiper said.
“I”m having fun,” Weiper said.
Templeton struck out five and walked three.
Kelseyville returns to action Friday when it visits Maria Carrillo High School in Santa
Rosa.
