RICHMOND — It was worth waiting for as far as Kelseyville High School softball coach Greg Giusti is concerned.
Jillian Allen and Sabrina Lyons combined on a three-hitter and the Kelseyville Knights exploded for six runs in the top of the third inning to beat the Salesian Pride 7-0 in a non-league game on Tuesday in Richmond. It was the belated season opener for the Knights (1-0), who had a handful of games wiped out by rain.
“It”s the first time I”ve had a team on the field this year and I was happy with a ?W,” ” Giusti said.
Kelseyville picked up an unearned run in the top of the first and that proved to be all the support Allen would need in her 2010 debut. She retired the Pride in order in each of the first three innings, worked out of a mini-jam in the fourth, and closed out her day with a 1-2-3 fifth inning.
“She pitched exceptionally well,” Giusti said.
Allen struck out five and did not walk a batter.
Sabrina Lyons blanked the Pride on one hit over the final two innings.
The Knights put the game away in the third, sending 11 batters to the plate. Sarah Johnson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in the first run of the inning, Ashley Mueller singled home two runs, and freshman Jennifer Green tripled to score two more with her first high school hit. Kyra Rudnick”s RBI single capped the six-run inning.
Rudnick and Skyler Olsen each finished with two hits.
In other softball action Tuesday:
Healdsburg 6, Middletown 1
At Middletown, the Healdsburg Greyhounds parlayed five Middletown errors, three walks and a hit batsman into a non-league victory over the Mustangs.
Middletown pitchers Lindee Jones and Victoria Alessandra combined on a one-hitter against the Greyhounds, who scored 18 runs in a win over St. Vincent earlier this season.
“She pitched awesome,” Middletown coach Bob Cummesky said of Jones, who worked the first four innings. She allowed six runs — all unearned — while striking out six and walking three. Alessandra finished up with three shutout innings.
Healdsburg”s only hit was an attempted sacrifice bunt that Chanae McCann beat out in the top of the fourth inning.
“I was really impressed with our pitching,” Cummesky said.
Kyleen Bouchard”s RBI grounder in the bottom of the third scored Kim Nielsen to cut Healdsburg”s lead to 3-1. Bouchard, Nielsen and Erika Kirby had the only Middletown hits.
Calistoga 4, Lower Lake 0
At Calistoga, Nicole Taylor struck out 15 and allowed only two hits as the Calistoga Wildcats blanked the Lower Lake Trojans in non-league action.
“We ran into some quality varsity pitching,” Lower Lake coach Tim Sherrell said of Taylor, who is a junior. “They”ve got a great catcher too (senior Megan Hunt).”
Calistoga scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to break open a scoreless contest. The Wildcats added two more runs in the fifth.
“(Kristen) Garcia pitched well enough to win,” Sherrell said. “We had some key errors behind her and didn”t hit for her.”
Garcia and Christine Powers had the only hits against Taylor.
“She throws a lot of fastballs on the corners,” Sherrell said. “We saw her last year and her ball didn”t have as much movement. She worked hard over the summer.”
Garcia struck out four and walked three. She didn”t allow an earned run.
Upper Lake 22, Anderson Valley 5
At Boonville, despite opening the game without four starters, the Upper Lake Cougars pounded their way to a non-league victory over Anderson Valley.
“My backups did a hell of a job,” Upper Lake coach Kelly Coburn said.
One starter arrived late for the game because of a driving test. Three others missed the game because of injury, sickness and an excused absence.
Upper Lake (3-0) scored seven times in the top of the second inning to open up a 9-3 lead. It was 9-5 when the Cougars batted around in the third inning, scoring nine times for an 18-5 lead.
The game was halted after five innings because of the 10-run rule.
Winning pitcher Katherine Edmonds struck out four and walked five. She also had three of the Cougars” 17 hits and a RBI. Lisa Irwin went 3-for-5 and drove in five runs for the Cougars. Jessica Swaney and Taryn Re also had three hits apiece.
Baseball
Upper Lake 14, Anderson Valley 6
At Boonville, off to their best start since opening the 2001 season with a 6-0 record, the Upper Lake Cougars improved to 5-0 by beating Anderson Valley in non-league action.
Gerald Thomas picked up the win but was rocked for two home runs during a four-run Anderson Valley third inning. Jared Wade relieved to open the fourth and limited the Panthers to one hit over the final four innings to register the save.
Lance McCloud spearheaded an 11-hit Upper Lake attack by going 3-for-5 with four RBIs, three of them coming on one swing of the bat in the top of the sixth when he homered to deep right-center field.
“It was a rainbow shot too,” Upper Lake coach Jim Green said.
Wade went 2-for-4 with RBIs and Larry Stacy went 2-for-3 with a RBI for Upper Lake.
Upper Lake”s defense also came up big, according to Green.
Second baseman Stoney Timmons speared two line drives and center fielder Billy Armstrong made two diving catches, doubling a runner off second base after one of them.
Upper Lake led 7-0 after two innings but Anderson Valley fought back to 7-6 after four innings. The Cougars pulled away with four runs in the fifth and three in the sixth on McCloud”s home run.
Healdsburg 5, Middletown 1
At Healdsburg, in a game played under the lights Tuesday at Recreation Park, the Healdsburg Greyhounds beat the Middletown Mustangs in non-league action.
Healdsburg scored three times in the bottom of the third, the final two coming home on a two-out error, to break open a scoreless game.
Middletown (1-2) got one of those runs back in the top of the fourth but couldn”t get any closer. Healdsburg added two insurance runs in the fifth.
“We played well, they”re a good team,” Middletown coach Mitch Tucker said of the Greyhounds.
Two of Middletown”s three hits in the game came in the fourth. Dylan Pastor led off with a double and scored on John Hays” bloop double.
Losing pitcher Dylan Galusha worked the first four innings, allowing three hits and one earned run. He struck out four, walked one and hit three.
“They were pretty pumped up tonight, they battled the whole way,” Tucker said of his players.
