KELSEYVILLE >> Jonah Lewis pitched six strong innings and Logan Barrick launched a three-run home run to seal Kelseyville’s 9-1 North Central League I varsity baseball victory over the Clear Lake Cardinals on Tuesday afternoon at Lloyd Larson Field in Kelseyville.
Kelseyville (2-0 league, 10-1-1 overall) has now won 16 straight league games dating back to last season when the Knights finished a perfect 14-0.
While Kelseyville coach Lou Poloni toyed with the idea of starting staff ace Logan Barrick against the Cardinals (1-1, 2-6), he opted for Lewis and wasn’t disappointed with his decision. Lewis limited Clear Lake to a single run — that in the fourth inning — while scattering four hits. He struck out five and walked three.
“He got better as the game went along,” Poloni said. “He’s got good stuff, it’s just a matter of finding his consistency.”
“He was in the strike zone most of the afternoon and I thought he did a pretty good job,” Clear Lake assistant coach John Garrison said.
Clear Lake threatened in the top of the first inning, putting runners at first and second with no outs, but Lewis worked out of the jam with a strikeout and a line-drive double play.
“Clear Lake’s a good team and can hit the ball,” Poloni said. “We played really good defense again. We had to field 16 of their outs and we didn’t make an error, so I’ll take that any day.”
Kelseyville struck early, scoring single runs in the first two innings and four more in the bottom of the third for a 6-0 lead. Clear Lake closed to 6-1 in the top of the fourth on a double by Cody Dillsaver and a RBI single by Hunter Daily.
“The game seemed a lot closer,” Garrison said. “It kind of got away from us in the sixth when he (Barrick) hit the home run.”
Barrick turned around a letter-high 2-2 fastball from losing pitcher Ryan Damiata and sent it over the fence in left field to boost Kelseyville’s lead to 9-1. Barrick (2-for-4) drove in four of the Knights’ runs.
“The funny thing is I yelled at him a couple of pitches before that for swinging and missing a letter-high fastball,” Poloni said.
Randy Pfann contributed two hits and two RBIs to the Kelseyville win and Jason Gentle also had two hits.
Jake Jackson went 2-for-4 for the Cardinals while Dillsaver and Daily had the other Clear Lake hits.
“We were just a little impatient (at the plate),” Garrison said. “We didn’t string together a lot of good at-bats.”
Damiata pitched well in defeat for the Cardinals, according to both Garrison and Poloni. The senior struck out six and walked only one, and most of the runs he allowed were of the unearned variety.
“I think he pitched a pretty good game,” Poloni said. Added Garrison, he gave up nine (actually 10) hits but Kelseyville can hit the ball. We made some errors that hurt.”
Clear Lake turns right around and plays at home Wednesday against Middletown (1-0). Kelseyville isn’t scheduled to play again until Friday in St. Helena although wet weather is in the forecast.
