KELSEYVILLE — Left-hander Nic Vargas struck out 13 and didn”t walk a batter on Saturday as the Kelseyville Knights won their first game of the season, 6-1, over the El Molino Lions at Lloyd Larson Field in Kelseyville.
Vargas ended up with a four-hitter after retiring the side in order in each of the first four innings. He lost his shutout in the seventh.
“He had his fastball, curve and changeup all working,” Kelseyville coach Lou Poloni said. “He mixed speeds great and just dealt the whole day.”
Kelseyville (1-1) provided Vargas with all the run support he would need on one swing of the bat in the bottom of the first, a two-run home run to left-center field by Max Huff (2-for-3).
“Max is kind of locked in right now,” Poloni said. “His only out was a one-hop laser to shortstop.”
Kelseyville added two more runs in the third and scored single runs in the fifth and sixth to go up 6-0.
Devon Call went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI for Kelseyville. Huff was the only other Knight with more than one hit.
With Vargas striking out a baker”s dozen worth of Lions, the Knights committed just one error on defense.
“Thirteen strikeouts makes a defense look a lot better,” Poloni said.
