KELSEYVILLE >> Leading 6-2 after five innings, the Kelseyville Knights fell apart in the top of the sixth inning as the Fort Bragg Timberwolves rallied for six runs to win 8-6 in a North Central League I varsity baseball battle for first place on Tuesday afternoon at Lloyd Larson Field.
“The good thing is we’re not out of this thing (league race), the bad news is we let a great opportunity slip by us,” Kelseyville coach Lou Poloni said as the Knights fell to 4-2 in league play and 6-7 overall. Fort Bragg (4-1) and Middletown (4-1) now share the league lead, one-half game ahead of the Knights, who visit Middletown on Friday.
“Well at least we know we can play with them,” Poloni said of the Timberwolves, the top-ranked team in Division IV.
Starting pitcher Justin Beck walked the first two Timberwolves he faced in the top of the sixth and was relieved by Randy Pfann, who walked the first batter he faced to load the bases. That set the table for six runs as Fort Bragg also used two hits, two critical Kelseyville errors and two sacrifice flyballs to surge ahead 8-6.
“Up to that point we played the best defense,” Poloni said. “We also had some bad luck. One of their hits was a seeing-eye single that got past my second baseman, the other was hit right out in front of the plate. They scored six runs on two hits.”
Pfann didn’t allow an earned run but still ended up taking the loss.
Poloni said Fort Bragg, the No. 1-ranked squad in Division IV, is a team to be reckoned with it because of a batting order than has no real weaknesses.
“From one to nine they’re pretty impressive,” Poloni said.
Kelseyville didn’t score after the second inning. The Knights grabbed a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first and both teams scored twice in the second inning.
Kyle Ashworth and Cooper Goff had two hits apiece for the Knights and Adrian Villalobos drove in two runs. Nate Phillips and Tyler Linnell also knocked in runs.
Beck worked five-plus innings in a no-decision, allowing four runs, all earned, on five hits with four strikeouts and four walks.
In other NCL I action Tuesday:
Middletown 10, Willits 1
At Middletown, after spotting Willits (3-3) a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, the Middletown Mustangs went to work on offense, scoring four times in the second and adding another run in the third for a 5-1 lead. That’s where the score remained until Middletown’s five-run seventh, not that winning pitcher Thomas Cook needed the extra support.
“He located the ball well and kept them off balance,” Middletown coach Jeff Mielke said of his starting pitcher, who threw a four-hitter while striking out four and walking one.
Middletown’s defense committed a solitary error behind Cook, who also benefited from strong glove work by third baseman Will Perez and shortstop Isaiah Moore.
“The team defense was outstanding,” Mielke said.
Moore powered the offense with a 3-for-4 day that included two RBIs. Jack Bliss (2-for-4) doubled twice and drove in two runs and Luke Holt went 2-for-3 with a double and a RBI. Jordon Hernandez (1-for-4) also knocked in two runs.
Middletown and Fort Bragg now share the NCL I top spot at 4-1. The Mustangs also won their 10th game overall against only two losses.
The Mustangs host Kelseyville (4-2) on Friday.
Clear Lake 3, Lower Lake 2
At Lower Lake, in a game where both teams had only one hit, the Clear Lake Cardinals rode a 99-pitch, complete-game effort by Cody Rybolt to a win over the Lower Lake Trojans.
Chris White’s single in the top of the second inning was the only hit for the Cardinals (2-4, 5-6), who built a 3-0 lead with a run in the third and two more in the fourth. Lower Lake’s only hit, a one-out, two-run double by Austin Oranje in the bottom of the fifth, cut the Cardinals’ lead to 3-2. Oranje, the potential tying run, tried to stretch the hit into a triple and was thrown out instead.
Rybolt worked easy sixth and seventh innings to close out the Trojans (1-4, 4-6).
“We beat ourselves today,” Lower Lake coach Jim Peters said of six Lower Lake errors that led to three unearned runs for Clear Lake. “We need to hit the ball and stop the errors. It was a very tough one to lose.”
Rybolt struck out eight, walked four and hit three.
Losing pitcher Mike Taliaferro went 3 2/3 innings and allowed all of Clear Lake’s runs and its only hit. Oranje relieved and pitched the final 3 1/3, allowing no hits, striking out two and walking five.
Lower Lake plays a non-league game at home against Healdsburg on Wednesday before resuming its league schedule Friday in Cloverdale. Clear Lake’s next scheduled game is Friday at home against Fort Bragg.
Sonoma Academy 6, Upper Lake 3
At Santa Rosa, that elusive first NCL II win escaped Upper Lake’s grasp again as the Sonoma Academy Coyotes scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to beat the Cougars (0-5, 3-6) and keep them winless in league play.
Upper Lake grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning but Sonoma Academy rallied to take the lead with two runs in the second and another in the third. The Cougars pulled even at 3 with a run in the top of the fifth.
Upper Lake head coach Billy Santos had to once again shuffle his lineup because of missing players and the result wasn’t pretty as the Cougars committed five errors.
Diego Velasco took the loss in relief. He was one of four pitchers used by the Cougars.
Both of Upper Lake’s runs in the first inning were the result of squeeze bunts – one by Darren Swaney and the other by Dalton Slater. The Cougars’ final run came on Jason Campfield’s RBI groundout. Velasco and Slater had the only Upper Lake hits.
Upper Lake hosts Round Valley in a non-league game on Wednesday at 1 p.m. before resuming league play Friday against Rincon Valley Christian in Santa Rosa.
JV baseball
Middletown 13, St. Vincent 5
At Petaluma, in a non-league game played Saturday, the Middletown junior varsity baseball team improved to 12-0 on the season with a victory over the St. Vincent Mustangs.
Winning pitcher Will Aden worked the first five innings for the victory, striking out four and walking one.
Cameron Luis went 2-for-4 and scored twice for the Mustangs while Isaac Perez went 2-for-2 with three walks, a double, three runs scored and two RBIs. Nico Barrio (1-for-3) also scored three times and Justin Hollingsworth went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
Middletown’s scheduled league game Tuesday in Willits was canceled because of unplayable field conditions. The Mustangs are home Friday against Kelseyville.
