KELSEYVILLE >> When the Kelseyville Knights take the field Friday at home against the Fort Bragg Timberwolves, sole possession of first place in the North Central League I varsity baseball standings will be riding on the line.
Both teams won convincingly on Tuesday afternoon to improve to 4-0 in league play – the Knights with an 11-1 six-inning victory over the Willits Wolverines at Kelseyville, and the Fort Bragg Timbderwolves with a 11-0 shutout win in five innings at Lower Lake. They are the only two undefeated teams remaining in the league following St. Helena’s 8-3 victory at Middletown (2-1) on Tuesday.
K’ville 11, Willits 1
At Kelseyville, Jonah Lewis pitched a six-hitter and just missed a shutout as Willits scored an unearned run in the top of the sixth inning. Kelseyville (4-0, 12-1-1) countered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, at which point the game was called because of the 10-run rule.
“He’s getting better every time he goes out there,” Kelseyville coach Lou Poloni said of Lewis, who typically struggles early in a game before settling down. “It takes him a couple of innings to get into a groove. He’s starting to figure it out and get it locked in.”
Lewis struck out seven and walked only one.
Ahead 1-0 going to the bottom of the third, the Knights broke the game open with a six-run inning, including a two-strike, two-run single from Jacob Beck. Kelseyville sent 11 batters to the plate before the rally ended.
Lewis and Kyle Ashworth each had two hits for the Knights, who had 10 as a team. Beck, Randy Pfann, Kyle Ellis and Logan Barrick drove in a pair of runs each.
“We’ve got to play a lot better on Friday (against Fort Bragg),” Poloni said. “We weren’t as sharp out there as we needed to be. We made a couple of errors that were not playoff-type baseball decisions. We can do better.”
In other baseball action Tuesday:
Fort Bragg 11, Lower Lake 0
At Lower Lake, three Lower Lake pitchers combined to walk 13 batters as the Timberwolves collected only five hits in their double-digit rout of the Trojans (0-2, 6-3).
“They’re for real,” Lower Lake coach Jim Peters said of the Timberwolves (4-0, 11-3), “but our pitchers gave up too many walks. We couldn’t throw a strike today.”
While it did drizzle and rain during the game, Peters said he wouldn’t use that as an excuse for the high walk total.
“Their pitcher, (Esteban) Duran, walked only two,” Peters said.
Lucas Triplet led off the game with a home run as Fort Bragg went up 2-0 in the top of the first inning. The Timberwolves put the game out of reach with a seven-run third inning.
Lower Lake starting pitcher Bobby Cruz lasted only 2 1/3 innings and took the loss. He struck out two and walked six. Eric Graves and Jordan McGrath followed Cruz to the mound.
Duran stopped the Trojans on only two hits, singles by J.T. Tinkler and Austin Oranje.
St. Helena 8, M’town 3
At Middletown, St. Helena took advantage of two Middletown errors to score four unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning, snapping a 3-3 tie and propelling the Saints to a league win over the Mustangs at Wes Martin Field.
Middletown (2-1, 3-10) had its three-game winning streak snapped and is still looking for its first home victory of 2017.
Losing pitcher Trevor LaFave worked six mostly strong innings for the Mustangs, striking out seven and walking two.
St. Helena scored three times in the top of the second inning for a 3-0 lead before Middletown tied it with three runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Luke Holt went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for Middletown and Jordan Fowler went 1-for-3 with a double and a RBI. Aiden Emerson and Ty Chorjel also had doubles for the Mustangs.
JV baseball
M’town 10, St. Helena 0
At Middletown, Jimmy Rockwell and Cameron Luis combined on a four-hitter as the Middletown junior varsity baseball team shut out the St. Helena Saints in a five-inning league game.
Middletown improved to 4-0 in league and 10-0 overall with the victory.
Rockwell worked the first four inning for the win, allowing three hits, striking out five and walking two. Luis finished up with a scoreless inning of relief.
Drake Harbison led the Mustangs at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored. Jack Sisson went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and Luis went 1-for-2 and scored twice.
“Our pitchers were a little more competitive and held their own,” Middletown coach Jon Hoogendoorn said. “They (Saints) walked a lot of guys.”
Middletown is scheduled to play a non-league game today in Healdsburg. The Mustangs return home Friday for a league game against Willits.
