FORT BRAGG — The Fort Bragg Timberwolves rallied from a 6-2 deficit to beat the Kelseyville Knights 7-6 in a down-to-the-wire North Central League I North varsity baseball game on Thursday in Fort Bragg.
As a result, the Knights (6-1 North, 14-7 overall) need a win in their league finale Tuesday at home against Middletown (5-2, 13-9) to wrap up the undisputed league championship. If Kelseyville loses, the North will likely end up in a three-way tie as Fort Bragg (5-2) hosts Lower Lake on Tuesday in its final game.
“It was a hell of a ballgame,” Kelseyville coach Lou Poloni said.
Kelseyville took a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the fifth. Fort Bragg, making the most of three Kelseyville miscues in the field, closed the gap to 6-4. The Timberwolves then tied it with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the sixth as Cody Ryden drilled a two-run home run to right field with two outs.
Garrett Thornton won the game in the seventh with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to deep center field. He also hit a solo home run to right field in the second inning.
Dustin Thaxton worked the first six innings for the Knights and Mike Davis relieved to start the seventh.
Thaxton had three of the Knights” nine hits, including a double, triple and a RBI, and Max Huff and John Mark Reagan added two hits apiece.
Ryden and Thornton had two hits and two RBIs apiece for Fort Bragg.
“It”s all right in front of us,” Poloni said of Tuesday”s showdown with Middletown. “We do control our own destiny.”
