KELSEYVILLE — Jeremy Brown pitched a gem only to take the loss in Kelseyville’s 1-0 setback to the El Molino Lions in non-league varsity baseball action Saturday at Lloyd Larson Field in Kelseyville.
Brown scattered four hits and carried a shutout into the top of the seventh before the Lions finally broke through with the game’s only run, a two-out RBI single by Owen White (2-for-3).
“He pitched great,” Kelseyville head coach Lou Poloni said of the junior. “I thought my pitch counter had broken. It’s 20 years old.”
Poloni was referring to Brown’s ultra-low pitch count through the first six innings. He had thrown only 51 pitches, with a high of 10 in the fourth inning, until a 25-pitch seventh inning. The Lions scratched out a run in the seventh thanks in part to a sun-aided double to right field with one out. They loaded the bases before hitting into a force play at the plate. White’s RBI single followed.
“We made every play behind him until the seventh,” Poloni said of Brown and the Kelseyville defense, which wasn’t charged with an error.
Brown struck out two and walked only one.
The Knights had a tough time making contact at the plate and struck out 15 times, including 11 times against starter and winning pitcher Patrick Atkinson, who worked the first 5 1/3 innings. He walked none and allowed all three Kelseyville hits.
“He was legit,” Poloni said of Atkins, whose fastball was clocked in the low 80s. “He had a legitimate slider, too. You don’t see many sliders in high school. It was around 77 (mph).”
Daniel Martinez finished up with 1 2/3 innings of relief, striking out four and walking four.
For the Knights (1-3), who have dropped three straight one-run decisions, Matt Harris went 1-for-2 with a double and Matt Gomora and Cooper Goff added singles. Even so, the Knights had their chances against Atkinson.
“We left three runners in scoring position,” Poloni said.
The Knights advanced runners to third base with less than two outs in the third and sixth innings but couldn’t put the ball in play when they needed to, according to Poloni.
Kelseyville opens play in the Colusa Tournament on Thursday with two games. The Knights play East Nicolaus at 2 p.m. and Colusa at 4:30 p.m. After an off day on Friday, they return to action Saturday against an opponent to be determined.
In other baseball action Saturday:
Colusa 8, Clear Lake 4
Colusa 3, Clear Lake 1
At Colusa, Clear Lake dropped both ends of a non-league doubleheader to the Colusa Redhawks to fall to 1-3 on the season.
Game statistics were not available.
The Cardinals return to action Friday at home against Upper Lake at 4 p.m.
Fortuna 10, Lower Lake 2
Fortuna 15, Lower Lake 1
At Lower Lake, the Lower Lake Trojans were swept by the Fortuna Huskies in a non-league doubleheader. The second game was called after six innings because of the 10-run rule.
Lower Lake is 1-2 on the season.
Game statistics were not available.
Lower Lake’s next scheduled game is March 17 at Upper Lake beginning at 4 p.m.
