KELSEYVILLE — Tyler Beets provided all the offense the Clear Lake Cardinals would need to beat the Kelseyville Knights in a non-league varsity baseball game on Tuesday afternoon at Lloyd Larson Field.
Beets doubled home a run in the first inning before going opposite field for a two-run home run to right field in the third to give the Cardinals a 3-1 victory over the Knights.
Although the game was played under threatening skies, the rain held off until the seventh inning. Clear Lake served as the home team because the game was originally scheduled at Lakeport, but the Cardinals” field is unplayable because of recent rainfall — and more wet stuff is the three-day forecast. The same two teams are scheduled to meet again in Kelseyville on Saturday when the Knights will be the home team.
In a game that proved to be a pitcher”s duel between the two starters — Clear Lake”s Max Ruffcorn and Kelseyville”s Blake Sedrick — Beets” one-out hits proved to be the difference.
Devon Call”s RBI single in the top of the first staked Kelseyville to a 1-0 lead that lasted until Beets came up in the bottom of the inning. Steven Edwards led off with a single and stole second and third before Beets walked to the plate with one out. He promptly doubled to knot the score at 1.
It remained a tie game until the bottom of the third. Tanner Mansell was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and balked to second. He moved up to third on a flyout. The right-handed hitting Beets took a ball before clubbing Sedrick”s next pitch over the fence in right field for a home run.
“He put a nice, easy swing on it and it kept carrying and carrying,” Clear Lake coach Paul Larrea said. “To go the opposite way on a day like today, with a heavy ball, that isn”t easy.”
Sedrick didn”t allow another hit while going the distance on the mound for Kelseyville, but Ruffcorn matched him pitch for pitch. He worked six innings, allowing just Call”s RBI single in the first, while striking out seven and walking four.
“He did a great job,” Larrea said. “He made the pitches he needed to make.”
Chad Elliston relieved to open the top of the seventh and earned the save. He allowed a leadoff single to Nick Rodrigues and struck out the next batter before Ethan Rohner singled to put runners at first and second. But Elliston struck out the next two batters to end the game.
While Beets was the hero on offense for Clear Lake, he also turned in a strong effort behind home plate while catching both Ruffcorn and Elliston.
“He kept Oren right where he needed to be,” Larrea said. “And he gives us a big lift offensively. He”s really a good player.”
Both teams played well on defense behind their pitchers. The Knights made two errors to the Cardinals” one.
Clear Lake improved to 3-2 while Kelseyville fell to 2-4.
