LOWER LAKE — Not this time.
Jesus Fonseca singled home George Novak with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Lower Lake to a 5-4 victory over the Kelseyville Knights in a North Central League I North varsity baseball game with title implications on Wednesday in Lower Lake.
Kelseyville (4-2, 10-8) rallied with three runs in the top of the seventh to pull even at 4, but the Trojans, who blew a 5-0 lead in a 6-5 loss to the Knights on April 16 in Kelseyville, didn”t let this one slip away thanks to some timely hitting from their senior standout.
“Fonseca beat Willits with a clutch hit and he stepped up and did it again,” said Lower Lake coach Joe Mattos, who has been on one heck of an emotional roller coaster the last week.
It was quite the remarkable turnaround for the Trojans (2-4, 4-12), who were outscored 20-0 while being swept by Fort Bragg in a NCL I North doubleheader Friday in Lower Lake.
Kelseyville (4-2, 10-8) now trails Middletown (5-0) by two games in the loss column with only two North games remaining. The Knights host Middletown on Friday.
Fonseca pitched six strong innings for Lower Lake and was in line for the win before Kelseyville struck for three runs in the seventh against reliever Stephen Whitcomb, who ended up getting the victory. Steven Grossner and Dustin Thaxton led off the top of the seventh with hits and both players scored when Nick Rodrigues” single eluded the Lower Lake right fielder for a two-base error. Mike Davis” RBI single scored Rodrigues to make it a 4-4 game.
In the bottom of the seventh, Novak reached on an error and was sacrificed to second by Joe Riggs.
“It was a picture-perfect sacrifice up the first-base line,” Mattos said.
After a brief chat with Mattos near the on-deck circle, Mattos lined the first pitch he saw from reliever Mike DeGregorio into right-center field to score Novak with the winning run.
“We seem to play our best ball when we play them,” Mattos said.
Kelseyville took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Lower Lake pulled even with a run in the third and went ahead 4-1 with three runs in the sixth.
When Kelseyville pulled even in the top of the seventh, Mattos said he couldn”t help but think, “Not again,” remembering the 5-0 lead the Trojans wasted earlier this season at Kelseyville.
Watching the Trojans” win from the bench was junior outfielder Jason Winans, who was hit in the head by a pitch on April 27 in a 15-4 home loss to Clear Lake.
“The ball caught the corner of the helmet and hit his left eye,” Mattos said, adding that the force of the impact left a crack 1 to 1? inches wide in the helmet.
“It cracked his eye socket and gave him a concussion,” Mattos said.
Winans was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and spent three nights in the critical care unit with bleeding on his brain, according to Mattos.
“And he didn”t want to come out of the game at first. That was the scariest moment of my life,” Mattos added of the beaning. “I”ve never had anything like that happen to me as a coach. It was emotional.”
Mattos visited Winans in the hospital during his stay in Santa Rosa.
“When you see one of your players laying there hooked up to all those machines, it puts life in perspective,” Mattos said. “He is a great kid, I”ve coached him since Little League and he”s nothing but all heart. He just loves playing baseball.”
Upon being released from the hospital Friday, Winans returned to the Lower Lake bench to watch his teammates battle Fort Bragg in a doubleheader. He was greeted not only by all of his teammates, but by Clear Lake”s players and coaches.
“My hat”s off to the Clear Lake players and coaches for their sportsmanship,” Mattos said. “All the people that supported him were just great. I”m thrilled he”s back.”
Mattos said Winans will be sidelined four to six weeks before he can begin working out again.
“I can”t wait to have him back next season,” Mattos said.
