KELSEYVILLE –Trailing 5-0 going to the bottom of the fifth inning, the Kelseyville Knights came all the way back to nip the Lower Lake Trojans 6-5 in a North Central League I North varsity baseball thriller on Friday at Lloyd Larson Field.
Running on contact from third base with one out in the bottom of the seventh, Dustin Thaxton scored on Mike DeGregorio”s infield single to win the game.
“The throw home from their third baseman was a little bit wide,” said Kelseyville coach Lou Poloni, who said Thaxton most likely would have been safe had the throw been on target. “He was running on contact.”
Making its North debut, Lower Lake (0-1, 2-7) built a 5-0 lead with three runs in the top of the third and single runs in the fourth and fifth.
“They made play after play on defense,” Poloni said. “Lower Lake was feeling it … they definitely wanted it. They were pumped and we were dead.”
Kelseyville (2-0, 8-5) finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth. Nick Rodrigues” one-out RBI double got the Knights on the board. Kelseyville went on to load the bases with two outs and DeGregorio promptly cleared them with a double into the left-center field gap to make it 5-4.
The Knights tied the score in the bottom of the sixth when Ethan Rohner scored all the way from first base on Blake Buchanan”s sacrifice bunt and a throwing error on the play.
Thaxton, working in relief of starter Rodrigues, was the winning pitcher. Fonseca, who relieved Lower Lake starter Stephen Whitcomb to open the sixth, took the loss.
Fonseca went 2-for-3 with a RBI for the Trojans and Whitcomb (1-for-3) and Kyle Buckingham (1-for-4) also drove in runs.
“It”s the best game we”ve played all year,” Lower Lake coach Joe Mattos said. “We should have come out of there with a win but you have to tip your cap to Kelseyville for playing all seven innings. That”s what baseball is all about.”
In other baseball action Friday:
Middletown 2, Fort Bragg 0
At Fort Bragg, Middletown won for the fifth time in six games while shutting out the Fort Bragg Timberwolves in NCL I North action. It was the league opener for Middletown (1-0, 7-8).
“Our pitchers were the story of the game,” Middletown coach Mitch Tucker said.
Winning pitcher Daniel Sallee worked four-plus innings, allowing three hits, striking out two and walking none. Ryan Johnson went the final three innings to pick up the save. He allowed two hits, struck out two and walked none.
“Johnson came out and threw beautifully,” Tucker said.
Middletown scored unearned runs in the third and sixth innings against losing pitcher Brent Moyer, who went the distance for Fort Bragg (0-2).
The Mustangs had only three hits — a doubly by Dane Larson and singles by Sallee and Eric Schenk. Bryan Holt”s RBI groundout in the sixth made it 2-0.
St. Vincent 6, Clear Lake 4
At Lakeport, Ross Borr”s two-run single in the top of the seventh snapped a 4-4 tie and lifted the red-hot St. Vincent Mustangs to a South victory over the Clear Lake Cardinals.
St. Vincent (2-0, 10-3) has won nine straight while Clear Lake (0-2, 9-5) has dropped four in a row.
Clear Lake led 3-0 after three innings but St. Vincent rallied with two runs in the third and two more in the sixth for a 4-3 lead. Clear Lake pulled even at 4-4 on Ryan Grady”s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.
Winning pitcher Jeff Kesler went the distance, striking out six and walking one. Jason Edwards, working in relief of Bryan Edwards, took the loss. He allowed St. Vincent”s two runs in the seventh.
Tyler Beets and Ryan Richardson each went 2-for-3 with a RBI for Clear Lake.
John Mahta went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for St. Vincent and Borr and Jeff Matthews each went 2-for-3 with. Borr drove in three of the Mustangs” runs and Matthews doubled twice.
Softball
Clear Lake 10, St. Vincent 2
At Petaluma, Rylie Gabehart smacked a tape-measure home run in the top of the seventh to cap Clear Lake”s NCL I South-opening victory over St. Vincent.
The Cardinals (1-0), 10-4) built a 7-0 lead before St. Vincent scored its first run in the bottom of the fifth.
Winning pitcher Liz Sanderson scattered five hits, struck out six and walked none.
“She pitched real well,” Clear Lake coach Gary Pickle said.
Besides Gabehart”s home run, the Cardinals also received triples from Mari Jordan (2-for-4) and Vanessa Tullos (1-for-4), who was gunned down at the plate in the top of the fifth trying for an inside-the-park home run.
Coree Alexander doubled home the Cardinals” first run.
“It”s never been easy for us down here,” Pickle said of playing in Petaluma, the site of the Cardinals” only league loss a year ago. “We definitely made a turn from where we were last week.”
Fort Bragg 13, Middletown 3
At Fort Bragg, Middletown lost its NCL I North opener to the Fort Bragg Timberwolves despite scoring the game”s first three runs in the top of the third of the five-inning game.
Kylie Agapoff”s RBI single was followed by a Tory Perez two-run single.
Fort Bragg (2-0) pushed ahead to stay with five runs in the bottom of the third and the Timberwolves went on to score five more runs in the fourth and three in the fifth.
Kim Nielsen went 2-for-3 for Middletown (0-1, 1-11).
“We”ve got to learn to win,” Middletown coach Bob Cummesky said of his young squad. “Once we learn to win we”ll be OK.”
