KELSEYVILLE >> Rain halted play in the bottom of the eighth inning, leaving the Kelseyville Knights and McKinleyville Panthers deadlocked at 1 in the first game of a scheduled non-league varsity baseball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon Lloyd Larson Field in Kelseyville.
No second game was played because of the rain.
“Maybe when we get up there to play Arcata (March 24) we’ll try to get that second game in (with McKinleyville), but it’s not like those two places are right around the corner from each other,” Kelseyville coach Lou Poloni said. “We’ll pick up somebody else if we can’t make up that second game.”
Kelseyville starting pitcher Logan Barrick struck out 14 in his seven innings on the mound only to receive a no-decision. It appeared as though the victory was a done deal in the bottom of the seventh when the Knights had a runner at third base with one out and Adrian Villalobos lined a ball into right field. Instead of tagging up, the runner broke down the line “about 15 feet,” according to Poloni, and by the time he retreated to the bag it was too late.
“The funny thing is we had just had a conversation about tagging up,” Poloni said.
The Knights had one more chance with two outs but a popup ended the inning.
Kelseyville reliever Jonah Lewis struck out the side in the top of the eighth. The rain began to intensify at that point and after a short delay play was halted and the game ended.
“We’re just going to call it a tie,” Poloni said.
Kelseyville gave Barrick a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, a lead that held up until McKinleyville pushed across an unearned run in the top of the fifth, the Panthers taking advantage of the Knights’ lone defensive miscue of the day.
The two teams combined for only seven hits. Villalobos, who scored the Knights’ only run, joined Junior Gonzalez, Nathan Phillips and Lewis in the hit column for Kelseyville.
“We did some things well today … hitting wasn’t one of them,” Poloni said.
Barrick limited McKinleyville’s scoring chances although he had to wiggle out of a couple of jams, according to Poloni.
“He threw the ball well, but there is plenty for him to improve on,” Poloni said.
Kelseyville (1-1-1) returns to action today in Healdsburg at 4 p.m. After that, the Knights have no other games scheduled until the Willows Tournament on March 17-18. They’ll play three games at Willows, the first against Fortuna.
