KELSEYVILLE — Ashley Mueller doubled, homered and scored twice to lift the Kelseyville Knights to a 3-0 North Central League I North softball win over the Lower Lake Trojans on Friday in Kelseyville.
Winning pitcher Sabrina Lyon and reliever Jillian Allen, who registered the save, combined on a five-hit shutout. Lyon worked the first four innings, allowing two hits, striking out one and walking one. Allen struck out two and walked none over the final three innings.
Losing pitcher Kristen Garcia pitched well in defeat for the Trojans (0-1, 3-8), who were making their NCL I North debut. She went the distance, allowing only four hits, striking out four and walking three.
“The game could have gone either way,” Kelseyville coach Greg Giusti said. “It was a good game all around.”
Kelseyville (2-0, 3-7) scored twice in the bottom of the first inning. Mueller doubled with one out and raced home on Skyler Olsen”s single. Olsen later scored on Kenzie Gould”s sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.
The score remained unchanged until the bottom of the sixth when Mueller homered to straightaway center field.
“The deepest part of the park,” Giusti said. “It was a shot.”
Kelseyville second baseman Kyra Rudnick made an over-the-shoulder catch in shallow right field in the top of the fifth to end the inning and she helped turn a 4-3 double play in the top of the seventh to snuff out a Lower Lake rally. The Trojans put their first two hitters aboard in the seventh before Rudnick gloved a line drive and threw on to first.
“Those were a couple of really good plays,” Giusti said of his second baseman.
Lower Lake out-hit Kelseyville 5-4 but stranded seven runners.
“We hit a couple of shots right at people,” Lower Lake coach Tim Sherrell said. “We didn”t get the big hits when we needed them.”
