KELSEYVILLE >> They’re the undisputed North Central League I varsity baseball champions for a second year in a row.
The Kelseyville Knights wrapped things up with a 4-2 win over the Middletown Mustangs on Friday afternoon at Lloyd Larson Field in Kelseyville. Winning pitcher Jonah Lewis went the distance, striking out five and walking one.
If Kelseyville (13-0 league, 21-1-1 overall) can beat Cloverdale on Tuesday in Cloverdale, it will complete its second straight undefeated league season and run its NCL I winning streak to 28 games.
“We have players on this team who know what that means without being told,” Kelseyville assistant coach Billy Shaul said of such veterans as seniors Logan Barrick and Kyle Ellis, both of whom contributed to the Knights’ latest win.
Barrick went 2-for-2 with two RBIs while Ellis (1-for-1) reached base in all four of his plate appearances, including three walks.
Lewis was the other star on Friday. On a day when he couldn’t find his breaking ball, the junior threw fastball after fastball to an opponent that eats them for lunch most days.
“He threw 92 pitches and I think 90 of them were fastballs … he just kept pumping them in there,” said Shaul, who is filling in for head coach Lou Poloni (in Hawaii to attend his son’s graduation) for the Knights’ final two league games. “He was living on the fastball and a lot of them they were late swinging on.”
Lewis escaped a scare in the top of the seventh when Trevor LaFave (3-for-3) and Jordan Fowler opened the inning with singles. Just when it looked like the Mustangs were in business, they bounced into a 4-6-3 double play. Lewis struck out the next batter to end the game.
Middletown (10-3, 11-12) entered play a winner of 11 of its last. As a result of the loss, the Mustangs are now tied with Fort Bragg (10-3) for second place. Kelseyville, Middletown and Fort Bragg all could end up seeing each other again in the upcoming North Coast Section Division IV playoffs.
Losing pitcher Thomas Cook worked the first three innings and left the game trailing 3-2. Kelseyville scored an insurance run in the sixth against reliever Luke Holt, who struck out five over the final three innings.
Ezekiel Perez went 2-for-3 for Middletown, which wraps up its league and regular-season schedule on Tuesday in Fort Bragg.
In other varsity baseball action Friday:
St. Helena 7, Lower Lake 4 (10 inn.)
At Lower Lake, St. Helena scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie it and three runs in the 10th to beat the Lower Lake Trojans in NCL I action.
Lower Lake starting pitcher Eric Graves was two outs away from a 4-2 win when St. Helena tied the game with a two-run double.
The Trojans (3-9, 9-10) had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth with runners at the corners and two outs but couldn’t get the hit they needed.
Ethan Watson went 2-for-3, Izzac Carver went 2-for-5 and JT Tinkler went 2-for-5 with two RBIs for the Trojans, who scored single runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings to build a 4-2 lead. Watson also stole three bases to give him 51 for the season. He entered the game tied for fifth in the state in stolen bases this season and 10th in the nation.
St. Helena scored its three runs in the 10th against losing pitcher Austin Oranje.
Fort Bragg 5, Clear Lake 0
At Lakeport, Fort Bragg pitcher Colton Hopper shut out the Clear Lake Cardinals on five hits, two of them by Jason Garrison, in NCL I action.
The win moves Fort Bragg (10-3) into a second-place tie with Middletown in the league standings.
“He was pretty efficient,” Clear Lake assistant coach John Garrison said of Hopper, who struck out seven.
Losing pitcher Cody Rybolt lasted 5 2/3 innings before reaching the 110-pitch maximum limit. He allowed 10 hits, all five Fort Bragg runs, struck out eight and walked two. Ryan Damiata closed it out.
Rybolt, Alex Adams and Jake Jackson had the other hits for Clear Lake (6-7, 7-10).
Tomales 7, Upper Lake 5
At Upper Lake, the Upper Lake Cougars fell behind 7-0 before battling back in NCL II action. The game ended when Carson Whitfield lined out to left-center field with the potential tying runs on base.
Tomales scored five times in the top of the first inning against losing pitcher Armando Santos, who wasn’t helped by the play of his outfield defense. Santos lasted four innings, striking out four and walking four. Dre Santos finished up on the mound, striking out five and walking three during his three innings.
Armando Santos went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Upper Lake (3-5, 9-8), which has four games next week as it tries to qualify for the Division V playoffs as an at-large team. Upper Lake plays Technology in Rohnert Park on Monday and is home Tuesday against St. Vincent to close out its league schedule. On Thursday, the Cougars host Laytonville in a non-league doubleheader.
