MIDDLETOWN — Less than two weeks ago, the Middletown High School varsity baseball team took a 1-7 record into the Winters Tournament. Following their 11-5 victory over the Kelseyville Knights on Tuesday, the Mustangs are back at the .500 mark — 8-8.
Can you say hot?
“I knew playing a tough preseason schedule would help us down the road,” Middletown coach Mitch Tucker said. “I told the kids to keep believing.”
The North Central League I North victory over Kelseyville (2-1, 8-6) moves Middletown (2-0, 8-8) atop the league standings in what could be a North race that goes right down to the wire.
Facing Kelseyville ace Mike DeGregorio on Tuesday, the Mustangs wasted no time taking the early lead. Dylan Pastor led off the bottom of the first with a booming double and Kyle Harmyk followed with a home run to center field. John Hays then doubled and he later scored on an Eric Schenk sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.
“We just knew we wanted to send a little message early and we did,” Tucker said.
Kelseyville closed to 3-2 in the top of the second against Middletown starting pitcher Dylan Galusha, but the Mustangs came right back with six runs in the bottom of the inning against reliever Blake Sedrick to go up 9-2.
Middletown banged out 12 hits and every starter had at least one hit.
“That”s a team effort,” Tucker said. “Not only did every single starter get a hit, but almost everyone got a RBI.”
Galusha struggled with his control at times but managed to eat up six innings on the mound to pick up the victory. He struck out six and walked five.
“Galusha really didn”t have command today, but he worked out of trouble and went the six innings,” Tucker said.
In other action Tuesday:
Softball
Kelseyville 8, Middletown 4
At Middletown, the Kelseyville Knights built a 7-0 lead in the first three innings and beat the Middletown Mustangs in NCL I North softball action. The win moves the Knights (3-0, 4-8) atop the league standings, a half-game ahead of Fort Bragg (2-0).
Losing pitcher Victoria Alessandra, who is trying to come back from a groin injury, lasted just one-third of an inning. She faced seven batters and six reached base, the result of three walks, two hit batsmen and an error.
Kelseyville added to its 3-0 lead with a run in the second and three more in the top of the third after loading the bases with one out on back-to-back-to-back singles by Jennifer Green, Ty VanHousen and Kyra Rudnick.
“What really hurt us today was we gave up too many free bases,” Middletown coach Bob Cummesky said of the eight combined walks issued by Alessandra and reliever Kristy Fiddler, who worked the final 6 2/3 innings. Like Alessandra, Fiddler also hit two batters.
Middletown (0-2, 1-12) tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh on the strength of a Tory Perez, two-out, two-run double that made it 8-4, but winning pitcher Jillian Allen was able to work through the jam and record the complete game. She struck out seven and didn”t walk a batter.
“She threw the ball well and didn”t walk anybody,” Cummesky said of Allen. “You have to tip your hat to Kelseyville. They played well and made only one error.”
Green and Sarah Johnson each had two hits for the Knights while Perez (3-for-4, 3 RBIs) led the Mustangs. Roshell Dunlap and Kim Nielsen added two hits apiece.
“We hit the ball well,” Cummesky said. “We had 10 hits and I think that”s our season high.”
“Good game, good win,” Kelseyville coach Greg Giusti said. “The only thing I had a problem with was the number of runners we left on base. We left runners on second and third more than once and we”re not going to be able to do that when we play Fort Bragg (2-0). You can”t do that against good teams and win.”
