KELSEYVILLE — Nursing a 1-0 lead through four innings, the Kelseyville Knights finally got on to St. Helena pitcher Jessica Ardizzone Wednesday afternoon in St. Helena.
Boy, did they ever.
Kelseyville sent 15 batters to the plate in the top of the fifth and scored 11 times to beat St. Helena 12-0 in a five-inning North Central League I softball opener for both teams.
“I was stressed to the max the whole game but not letting it show,” Kelseyville coach Taryn Kysely said of the pitcher”s duel between the Knights” Sabrina Lyon and the Saints” Ardizzone the first four innings.
“We had one run and then nothing. It was three up, three down, three up, three down for both teams,” Kysely said.
Kelseyville (1-0, 3-0) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, all the scoring until the fifth when the Knights collected 12 of their 16 hits.
“The hits just came all at once,” Kysely said. “It was great.”
Dakota Rixen (3-for-4, RBI) and Stacy Ogden (2-for-4, double, 3 RBI) each had two hits in the inning to fuel the double-digit rally and Alyssa Mick walked twice and scored both times.
While the Knights” bats came alive with a vengeance, Lyon kept the lid on St. Helena”s offense, allowing just two hits, striking out five and walking two. She also went 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI.
Also for the Knights, Jennifer Green went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI.
Lyon had plenty of support from her defense as well as the Knights didn”t make an error.
“Our defense was really good today,” Kysely said.
Mick made a diving catch in right field to end the game, according to Kysely.
Just a few weeks into the 2012 season, Kelseyville has one more win than all of last season when it finished 2-16, including a 1-7 league record. The Knights are off to their best start since going 4-0 to open the 2004 campaign.
