LAKEPORT >> Clear Lake’s Brandon Coakley didn’t allow a runner to reach scoring position until the seventh inning as the undefeated Cardinals shut out the Kelseyville Knights 8-0 in North Central League I varsity baseball action on Friday afternoon in Lakeport.
Clear Lake’s march to a perfect regular season now stands at 23-0, including 13-0 in league, with one game to go. The Cardinals hit the road Tuesday to play Middletown, its final tuneup before the start of the North Coast Section Division V playoffs, which begin the week of May 25.
Coakley stopped Kelseyville on three hits, struck out 11, walked one and hit one.
“Brandon Coakley pitched amazing,” Clear Lake coach Zane Jensen said. “It’s probably his best game of the year. He three threw pitches for strikes. He has a changeup, a very sharp curve, and his fastball had a a little zip on it. He locates it (fastball) very well and it has movement … it breaks away from right-handed hitters.”
Losing pitcher Noah Lyndall kept the Cardinals off the scoreboard until the bottom of the third when they struck for four runs, the final two coming on Dillon Williams’ double. Cole Brodnansky doubled home another run in the inning and the senior catcher also had a RBI single during a three-run third as Clear Lake went up 7-0.
Brodnansky, Williams and John Vertrees all finished with two hits apiece. One of the Cardinals’ 10 hits went to senior Josh Henderson, his first hit of the season.
“We did swing it extremely well,” said Jensen, who added that all three aspects of the Cardinals’ game — hitting, pitching and defense (the Cardinals didn’t make an error) were there against Kelseyville.
Kelseyville (7-7, 11-13) used three pitchers. After Lyndall worked the first four innings, Logan Barrick and Andrew Vonwal each threw an inning apiece.
The Knights are still eligible for postseason play by virtue of their .500 record in league play and could qualify for the Division IV playoffs as an at-large team.
NOTES: Coakley improved to 4-0 on the season. Three other Clear Lake pitchers have at least four wins — Matt Heller (4-0), Williams (6-0) and Jordan Chana (8-0). Heller also has three saves … Brodnansky leads Lake County in hits (35), RBIs (32), is tied for the lead in home runs (3) and is among county leaders in doubles (6) … When Clear Lake and Middletown last met on May 5 in Lakeport, Clear Lake won a 12-11 thriller. “We’ve still got one more big test,” Jensen said of the Mustangs (7-5), who also play at Cloverdale on Monday.
