KELSEYVILLE >> Bib Hamner hit two home runs while teammates Riley Goff and Maddie West also went deep on Tuesday afternoon as the Kelseyville Knights improved to 4-0 in the North Central League I softball standings with a 15-5 victory in five innings over the visiting Willits Wolverines.
The game was called early because of the 10-run rule.
Kelseyville (4-0 league, 7-2 overall) actually squandered a 3-0 lead in the top of the third when Willits rallied for five runs, beginning with a long home to left-center field leading off the inning. The Knights wasted no time tying the game in the bottom of the third on back-to-back solo shots from Hamner and Maddie West. Hamner’s second homer, a three-run blast in the bottom of the fourth, made it a 9-5 game after Kelseyville had scored the tie-breaking run on a wild pitch with Hamner standing at the plate.
The Knights went on to score seven times in the fourth inning for a 12-3 lead and they finished off the Wolverines with a three-run fifth.
Riley Goff’s two-run home run to straightaway center field put the Knights on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. They added another run in the second to go up 3-0.
On a gray day that brought occasional drizzle and with a slight breeze blowing out, the ball seemed to jump off the bats of both teams.
“I was in shock,” Kelseyville coach Jeff Bour said. “I didn’t expect the ball to be carrying like that.”
Along with the four home runs, the Knights also had a triple by Tymeka Green (1-for-3, three RBIs). West finished the day 3-for-4 while Bailey Couey went 2-for-4. Hamner ended up with five RBIs.
“It’s the first time this season we’ve scored in every inning,” Bour said. “We’re starting to hit the ball.”
Winning pitcher Allison Bryant struck out six and walked three.
Kelseyville’s scheduled home game Friday with Fort Bragg has been postponed and will be rescheduled later in the season.
In other softball action Tuesday:
Lower Lake 8, Fort Bragg 6
At Lower Lake, on a day when freshman pitcher Shelby Sapeta was all over the place, the Lower Lake Trojans found a way to win anyway against the Fort Bragg Timberwolves.
Sapeta, who has displayed good control this season, had a rough outing against Fort Bragg. While she struck out a season-high 12, she also walked a season-high 12.
“The kids really supported Shelby today,” Lower Lake coach Chris Emberson said. “They picked her up. It’s not often you win a game where your pitcher walks 12.”
Lower Lake (1-1, 7-4) used a three-run bottom of the fourth to erase Fort Bragg’s 5-4 lead.
Destiny Apodaca went 3-for-3 with a double and a RBI and scored twice for the Trojans, who notched their first league win of the season. Adrianna Illia went 2-for-3 with a run-scoring single and a run-scoring triple in her first start of the year.
The Trojans opened league play on March 31 with a loss to Kelseyville and had to wait 11 days before playing again because of bad weather.
“I’m just happy to get that first (league) win in the column,” Emberson said.
Lower Lake is home again on Friday to play Clear Lake at 4 p.m.
M’town 11, St. Helena 1
At Middletown, Olivia Glosser pitched a four-hitter and Brittney Holt went 2-for-3 with three RBIs as the Middletown Mustangs excelled in all phases of the game while beating the St. Helena Saints for their first league win of the season.
Middletown (1-2, 3-7) scored at least one run in every inning of the five-inning game. The Mustangs collected nine hits at the plate and committed only one error in the field.
“Olivia was just throwing really good today,” Middletown coach Barry Glosser said of his daughter’s complete-game effort that included four strikeouts and only one walk. “And we played tight defense behind her.”
Leading 2-1 going to the bottom of the third inning, the Mustangs scored three times to go up 5-1. They pulled away with a five-run fourth.
“We played in a drizzle all day long,” Glosser said of the less-than-advantageous weather conditions.
Middletown returns to action on Friday at Willits.
