KELSEYVILLE >> A vastly better Clear Lake team than the one that opened this season kept North Central League I title contender Kelseyvlle off the scoreboard for four innings on Friday while nursing a 1-0 lead at Lloyd Larson Field in Kelseyville.
But playing better wasn’t good enough against the best that Kelseyville has become over the past few weeks, during which time the Knights have built an 8-0 record to move atop the league standings all by themselves (Cloverdale lost 7-6 at Fort Bragg on Friday to fall to 7-1).
The Knights toughest victory so far in their drive for the league title resulted in a 2-1 victory, the result of a fifth-inning rally.
Kelseyville shortstop Kyle Ellis launched the winning rally with a lead-off double off the left-field fence bordering Park Street behind the Kelseyville field. Noah Lyndall reached on an error by the shortstop, setting the stage for Logan Barrick’s two-run double into the right-center field gap. Barrick was out trying to stretch the hit into a triple, but it didn’t matter.
A route-going Lyndall proved masterful from the mound, shutting the Cardinals down the last six innings.
“I was panicking the whole game,” said Kelseyville head coach Lou Poloni said. “I was frustrated that our pitcher didn’t get some of the calls. I’m not saying they were bad calls. (Lyndall) got the job done eventually, but it probably wasn’t easy to watch.”
Lyndall had a shaky first inning, walking in the Clear Lake run when he issued a bases-load walk to Cody Dillsaver. Three of his five walks came in the top of the first. A strong wind did him no favors.
“Maybe the wind affected a few pitches,” Lyndall said. “But I didn’t have my best stuff. I kind of settled down some after the first inning.”
Lyndall issued only two more walks over the next six innings. Overall, he yielded five hits, walked five and struck out eight.
“They made every play for the first four innings,” Poloni said of a Clear Lake defense that committed just one error. “And their pitcher (Ryan Damiata) kept us off-balance.”
Like Lyndall, Damiata went the distance, allowing eight hits, one earned run, striking out one and walking one.
Poloni is close friends with Clear Lake coach Zane Jensen and was quick to praise him for the work he and his staff have done in crafting a good team from a pool of inexperienced players.
“Zane has done a great job with that team,” Poloni said. “He has probably had to coach more this year than any of the past three because they don’t have the great team they’ve had. I’m really proud of him and Rick Moreno, their assistant coach.”
Jensen was satisfied with the Cardinal effort
“We pitched better in tough situations,” he said. “We had our opportunities, but I’m happy that the team played well.”
Asked if the Cardinals (4-5, 5-14) have improved during the season, he said, “Gosh yeah! We had a pretty tough pre-league schedule and our overall league schedule (four wins, five losses) doesn’t show it but we’ve been in every game.”
Said Poloni: “Our guys did enough to win today.”
Kelseyville, now 12-2 overall, was led at the plate by Barrick, Sambhava Baird (3-for-3) and Nick Pfann (2-for-3). Damiata and Isaac Lewis each went 2-for-3 for Clear Lake, a 16-4 loser to Kelseyville on April 5 in Lakeport.
