KELSEYVILLE >> Logan Barrick went the distance and struck out 10 as the Kelseyville Knights beat the El Molino Lions 8-1 in the first game of a season-opening doubleheader for both of these varsity baseball teams on Saturday at Lloyd Larson Field.
El Molino won 4-3 in the nightcap to earn a split.
Barrick, a veteran holdover from Kelseyville’s 20-3 team in 2016, also went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, three runs scored and two RBIs. Kelseyville staked him to a 4-0 lead after two innings. El Molino scored its lone run in the top of the third but the Knights answered with four of their own in the bottom of the inning.
Jonah Lewis, who began last season with the varsity but was sidelined early with injuries, went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Knights and Kyle Ellis went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple.
In game two, El Molino erased a 2-1 deficit with a two-run fifth inning. The Lions added another run in the sixth go up 4-2 before the Knights came back with a run in the seventh. Kelseyville had the potential tying and winning runs in scoring position when the game ended.
“We’ve got to hit the ball better with runners on,” Kelseyville coach Lou Poloni said. “We could have won that second game if we had done that.”
Lewis, the first of three Kelseyville pitchers, took the loss. He worked five innings and allowed three runs, two of them earned. He allowed five hits, struck out two and walked four.
“He pitched well,” Poloni said. “It was actually kind of a hard-luck loss for him.”
Lewis also had three of the Knights’ 10 hits, going 3-for-4 with a double and a RBI. Ellis also finished with three hits and a RBI.
The Knights committed three errors in their first-game victory but none in game two.
“Our defensive philosophy is keep it small (meaning limit the damage done when an error is committed),” Poloni said. “We did a great job with that last year and we’re going to need to play good defense again this year.”
Looking ahead on his schedule, Poloni said the Knights will be severely tested during the month of March when a majority of the 10 games they have scheduled are against playoff teams from a year ago, including McKinleyville, Healdsburg, Arcata and Fortuna. Kelseyville beat Healdsburg in the quarterfinal round of the sectional playoffs last season before falling 2-1 to Arcata, the eventual champion, in the semifinals.
“If we get through March 5-5 we’re going to be a pretty good team,” Poloni said. “We could also end up 8-2 or 2-8, but we’re going to be battle tested.”
The Knights host McKinleyville for a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon at Lloyd Larson Field.
