KELSEYVILLE — The Kelseyville Knights built a 4-0 lead, but the Laytonville Warriors rallied for a 6-4 non-league softball win fueled by the long ball on Thursday afternoon in Kelseyville.
“The long ball killed us today,” Kelseyville coach Greg Giusti said of the home runs the Warriors hit in the sixth and seventh innings.
The first home run, a solo shot in the top of the sixth against tiring Kelseyville freshman pitcher Sabrina Lyon, cut Kelseyville”s lead to 4-3. The second blast, a drive to deep left-center field, snapped a 4-all tie in the top of the seventh while capping a three-run Laytonville rally in the inning.
“They roped both of them,” Giusti said of the home runs. “They were gone.”
Hard-throwing Potter Valley pitcher Jennifer Sizemore allowed two runs in each of the first and third innings — Skyler Olsen (2-for-3) singling home runs in both innings — as the Knights built their 4-0 lead.
“She settled into a groove after that and we couldn”t catch up to her,” Giusti said of the hard-throwing senior. “To come out of a little school like that, she”s quite a pitcher. She dominated the lower half of our order.”
The Knights (0-2) fifth through ninth hitters didn”t have a hit in the game.
Besides Olsen, Megan Andre and Sarah Johnson had the only other Kelseyville hits. Johnson doubled and drove in a run.
Lyon, who went the distance, struck out eight and walked two.
“I thought she pithced a good game, but you could tell in the sixth she was running out of gas and I had no one else to go to,” Giusti said.
Kelseyville”s projected starting pitcher for the season, Jillian Allen, won”t be available until early April.
Sizemore struck out eight and walked one.
Kelseyville turned a pitcher-to-catcher-to-first double play in the top of the seventh.
