KELSEYVILLE — Ryan Hansford tossed a four-hitter and struck out 10 as the Clear Lake Cardinals handed the Kelseyville Knights a 5-2 loss in a North Central League I interlock varsity baseball game on Tuesday at Lloyd Larson Field in Kelseyville.
“You have to tip your hat to him,” Kelseyville coach Lou Poloni said. “I can”t take anything away from the kid. He probably threw 95 pitches (he actually threw just over 100) and most of them were fastballs. We had to many popups and strikeouts and that just kills you.”
“He pitched a gem,” Clear Lake coach Paul Larrea added.
Hansford pitched out of a couple of jams, one early in the game with Kelseyville leading 1-0. In the bottom of the third, the Knights had runners at second and third with no outs when Hansford got Mike Duman, the Knights” No. 3 hitter, to pop out. After a walk to Justin Lilly loaded the bases, Matt Jones hit a comebacker to the mound and Hansford”s off-balance throw home arrived in time to force the runner, catcher Ryan Lunas making a barehand grab on the play to save an error. Hansford struck out Dustin Panos to end the inning.
Clear Lake (3-2) tied the game with a run in the fourth as Corey Dillon (2-for-2) led off with a single and eventually came around to score. The Cardinals went ahead 2-1 in the fifth, added another run in the sixth and went up 5-1 in the seventh on a Dillon two-run single.
Kelseyville threatened in the bottom of the seventh, scoring a run and putting two more runners on base to bring Duman to the plate as the tying run with two outs. But Hansford was once again up to the task as he recorded his 10th and final strikeout to end the game.
Duman started on the mound for Kelsyeville and worked the first 5 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and three runs, only one of which was earned. He struck out eight and walked two.
“We seem to boot it a lot when he”s pitching,” Poloni said of Duman, who took the loss.
Lunas went 2-for-3 with a RBI for Clear Lake. Jones, Blake Panos, Dustin Thaxton and Mike Davis had the only hits allowed by Hansford.
There were five balks called in the game — three on Kelseyville — and there were also four strikeouts in the bottom of the first when Hansford struck out Davis, Thaxton, Duman and Lilly. Thaxton reached safely when strike three bounced past Lunas for a passed ball.
Kelseyville drops to 3-2.
In other action Tuesday:
Upper Lake 5, Anderson Valley 4
At Upper Lake, Sloan Hennig walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, forcing in the winning run as the Upper Lake Cougars beat Anderson Valley for their first victory of the season.
Hennig entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the sixth with the Cougars trailing 4-2 and singled as Upper Lake rallied for two runs to tie the game. Back-to-back two-out RBI singles by Brandon Bills and Lance McCloud knotted the score.
Devin Callen pitched two scoreless innings in relief of starter Gerald Thomas to get the win.
“It”s a relief to get it,” Upper Lake coach Greg Smith said of the Cougars” initial victory of 2009. “In a couple of the other games we could have and should have won, so it”s nice to finally win one.”
Thomas walked in all four of his at-bats for Upper Lake (1-4).
Middletown 4, Tomales 1
At Tomales, Daniel Sallee pitched 3 2/3 innings of shutout ball to notch the win in Middletown”s non-league victory over the Tomales Braves.
Middletown (3-1) grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on RBI singles by Johnny Harmyk and Dylan Pastor. The Mustangs went up 3-0 in the fourth on a Sallee sacrifice fly and picked up an insurance run on Eric Tomko”s sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Sallee, working in relief of starter Harmyk, allowed three hits, struck out five and walked two.
“He mixed in his curve ball and it was very effective,” Middletown coach Mitch Tucker said.
Softball
Middletown 11, Calistoga 0
At Calistoga, it was Jen Emberson day as the Middletown pitcher not only tossed a four-hit shutout, but she went 4-for-4 at the plate with a double, four RBIs and two runs as the Mustangs beat the Calistoga Wildcats.
Jessica Roush went 3-for-4 with a double and a RBI and Kayla Dilks and Alicia Siri each had two hits for the Mustangs (2-1).
Emberson struck out five and walked one.
Upper Lake 14, Anderson Valley 4
At Upper Lake, the Upper Lake Cougars scored nine runs in the bottom of the first and went on to beat the Anderson Valley Panthers in a non-league game called after five innings because of the 10-run rule.
Laura Wold went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs for Upper Lake (3-1) and Jackie Lovrin also drove in two runs.
Emily Knispel pitched three innings in relief of Lovrin to notch the victory.
Tennis
Middletown 4, Cloverdale 1
At Cloverdale, Mid-dletown improved to 3-0 in tennis action by beating the Cloverdale Eagles in a Coastal Mountain Conference match.
Cody Trettin provided the Eagles with their lone win as he rallied to beat Jeanine Zolczynski 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. The rest of the day belonged to Middletown.
Miriam Lane beat Fred Westenburg 6-1, 6-0 in first singles and Tasha Gibbs defeated Alex Russeau 7-5, 6-2 in third singles.
Middletown also won both doubles matches. Tyler Madsen and Chase Mannisto were 6-1, 6-2 winners over Oscar Ochoa and Joe Wells in No. 1 doubles, and Will Phelps and Jason Candelario beat Nikki Bernstein and Amanda Mittelstadt 6-2, 6-1 in No. 2 doubles.
In an exhibition doubles match, Middletown”s Jerry Espinoza and Luis Pimentel prevailed 7-5.
