CLOVERDALE — Mike Duman worked out of a bases-loaded jam to save Kelseyville”s 4-3 upset win over the Cloverdale Eagles in a North Central League I interlock varsity baseball thriller on Friday at City Park in Cloverdale.
Cloverdale had already scored once in the inning to make it a one-run game when Duman came on in relief of winning pitcher Justin Lilly with the bases loaded and two outs. Duman walked the first batter he faced to force in a run, cutting Kelseyville”s lead to 4-3, but he retired the next batter on a popup to shortstop.
“That last inning was pretty exciting, too exciting,” Kelseyville coach Lou Poloni said.
Lilly, who worked 6 2/3 innings, allowed a run in the first inning and then proceeded to blank the Eagles until the seventh.
“He threw the ball very well and we made plays behind him,” Poloni said. “We”re going have to win games like this and that means we”re going to have to play defense.”
Kelseyville knotted the contest at 1 in the top of the fourth when Peter Wotherspoon punched a two-strike infield single past the pitcher”s mound to bring home Dustin Panos from third base.
The Knights (8-8) surged ahead 4-1 in the top of the fifth on a two-run single by Lilly and a RBI grounder by Steven Grossner.
In other action Friday:
Whitney 16, Middletown 6
At Middletown, in a game such as baseball that requires some combination of pitching, hitting and defense in order to be successful, the Middletown Mustangs failed on two counts — pitching and defense — in a loss to Whitney High School of Rocklin in the winner”s semifinal round of the Winters Tournament.
Middletown (6-7) plays Quincy today at 1 p.m. in the third-place game.
“We did not pitch well and we did not play defense well ? we made some big errors at big times,” Middletown coach Mitch Tucker said.
Middletown took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first before Whitney pulled even with two runs in the second. Whitney pushed ahead 3-2 in the top of the third and the inning should have ended with a two-out grounder to second, but an error on the play extended the inning and the Rocklin team went on to score six more times for a 9-2 lead.
Middletown scored four times in the bottom of the sixth.
Travis Taylor went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for Middletown and Eric Tomko went 2-for-3 with a RBI.
St. Vincent 11, Lower Lake 0
At Petaluma, winning pitcher Rich Dodele improved to 6-0 on the season and Ian Williams and Robbie White blasted home runs to lead St. Vincent, now 14-1, to a shutout win over the Lower Lake Trojans in NCL I interlock action.
Dodele left the game after four innings with a no-hitter. He struck out six and walked none.
The Mustangs pounded out 15 hits and Tommy Matthews led the way, going 4-for-4 with a double, two triples and three RBIs.
“They hit the ball all over the place,” Lower Lake coach Chris Emberson said. “Definitely the best-hitting team we”ve seen.”
Angel Macias and Jonathan Haws had the only hits for the Trojans (3-10).
Softball
Cloverdale 14, Kelseyville 10
At Cloverdale, it”s not often you lose when you get 16 hits but the Kelseyville Knights did just that in a slugfest against the Cloverdale Eagles, who scored eight times during a decisive bottom of the third inning to push in front 10-4.
“Six walks, nine passed balls and four errors, that”s the storyline,” Kelseyville coach Greg Giusti said. “Something has got to change and change soon.”
Kelseyville (6-7) crept to within 10-8 by scoring three runs in the fourth and another in the fifth, but Cloverdale added to its lead with a run in the bottom half of the fifth and three more in the sixth.
Katie Davis had a big day at the plate for Kelseyville, going 4-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs.
Middletown 11, Upper Lake 5
At Middletown, winning pitcher Jen Emberson doubled with the bases loaded to drive in three of Middletown”s runs during a seven-run second inning and the Mustangs rallied from a 4-0 first-inning deficit to beat the Upper Lake Cougars in NCL I interlock play.
Emberson”s double, a blast to center field, and Alicia Siri”s RBI triple, also to center field, were the big hits for the Mustangs as they paraded 11 batters to the plate in the bottom of the second.
“We had a very bad first inning,” Middletown coach Lisa Rogers said of Upper Lake”s four-run top of the first. “That”s when we made most of our (five) errors. I just told them to settle down and we were fine after that.”
Upper Lake (0-6) closed to 7-5 with a run in the top of the third. Middletown (4-6) extended its lead with a run in the fourth and three more in the fifth.
Emberson struck out nine and walked two in going the distance for the Mustangs.She also led the Mustangs at the plate, going 2-for-4.
Taryn Re, Lisa Irwin and Rebecca Swaney had two hits apiece for Upper Lake.
St. Vincent 13, Lower Lake 0
At Petaluma, Kelsey Joyce didn”t give up a hit and allowed only two baseruners, both the result of walks, as St. Vincent shut out Lower Lake in NCL I interlock action.
“She”s a lefty and that made it a little tougher on us,” Lower Lake coach Tim Sherrell said. “Her coach said she”s either on or off, but she was on today. She was hitting the corners.”
Lower Lake”s best bid for a hit came in the top of the third when Bianca Frias lined out to the first baseman. The only Trojans to reach base were Christine Powers and Darlena White and neither advanced past first.
Lower Lake is 1-10.
Tennis
Kelseyville 5, Geyserville 0
At Kelseyville, even with Florian Kelder, their star first singles player away on an excused absence, the undefeated Kelseyville High School tennis team improved to 5-0 in the Coastal Mountain Conference standings with an easy win over the Geyserville Bronchos.
Kelseyville coach Jeff McLaren even mixed up his lineup against a young Geyserville squad, moving Stuart Davy into Kelder”s No. 1 singles slot and promoting David Ferrario from doubles to No. 3 singles. It all worked out pretty well.
Davy beat David Hadley 6-0, 6-2 and Ferrario defeated Kayla Singley 6-2 (injury forfeit).
Luke Kriken won 6-2, 6-0 in No. 2 singles.
In doubles action, Jon Don Kincannon and Evan Carpenter blanked Joe Benin and Pete Benin 6-0, 6-0 in No. 1 doubles, and Steve McQueen and Glenn Mostin made quick work of Jennifer Reyes and Edgar Rodriguez in No. 2 doubles, winning 6-1, 6-0.
Cloverdale 4, Middletown 1
At Middletown, Aar-on Turner upset Fred Westenburg 6-4, 7-5 in third singles, but that was as good as it got for the Middletown tennis team in a 4-1 loss to Cloverdale.
Turner won the final five games of the second set to give Middletown its lone win of the day.
In other action, David Schumacher beat Will Phelps 6-2, 6-2 in No. 1 singles; Jacob Kreger defeated Tyler Madsen 6-1, 6-0 in No. 2 singles; Andre Jopson and Zachary Hughes beat Doug Quinones and Chance Mannisto 6-3, 6-0 in No. 1 doubles; and Dima Tsepelev and Julia Wiencke defeated Zoe Everett and Jeanine Zolczynski 6-3, 6-3 in No. 2 doubles.
