COLUSA — Kelseyville became the first team to score a run against Colusa this season, but it wasn’t nearly enough to beat the host RedHawks, 5-1 winners over the Knights in a non-league varsity baseball game Friday afternoon at Colusa.
Three Colusa pitchers — starter Emanuel Frias and relievers Ethan Lay and Tyler Oliver — combined on a no-hitter as the RedHawks improved to 4-0. They shut out the opposition by a combined 35-0 in their first three games this season.
Kelseyville (0-3) broke up that shutout streak with a run in the top of the fourth to briefly tie the game at 1-1, but Colusa regained the lead, this time for good, with a three-run bottom of the fourth.
“I was hoping that run would give us some momentum, but it didn’t,” Kelseyville head coach Billy Shaul said. “They (RedHawks) do all the small things right. They play baseball the right way.”
Frias went the first 3 2/3 inning, Lay pitched the next three, and Oliver recorded the final out of the game. They combined to strike out 13 Knights.
“That’s the one thing we can’t have,” Shaul said of all the strikeouts. “Their guys have good arms and pound the zone.”
Kelseyville hit only two balls out of the infield and one of them appeared to give the Knights their first hit of the game. Batting in the top of the second, Reme Strong lined a one-hopper to the Colusa right fielder. With a strong wind at his back, the right fielder threw a strike to the first baseman for a rare 9-3 putout.
“It was hit hard and took one bounce right to him,” Shaul said. “He came up clean and threw a strike to first base. It was a bang-bang play.”
Colusa took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second against losing pitcher Zayne Barker, who worked five innings. Kelseyville pulled even in the top of the fourth when Jon Dougherty drew a two-out walk, pinch-runner Hunter Keener stole second, and Tyler Bryant bounced a grounder to second base that was thrown away at first for an error, allowing Keener to score.
After the RedHawks regained the lead with their three-run bottom of the fourth, they added a final insurance run in the fifth. All of the runs were charged to Barker, but only two of them were earned. He allowed five hits, struck out four and walked none.
“It’s a little frustrating,” Shaul said of his team’s slow start this season. “Hopefully just like last year we’ll get that good streak going here soon.”
Kelseyville started last season, Shaul’s first as head coach, 0-5 before going on to win nine of its final 12.
Brock Barrick followed Barker to the mound and worked a scoreless sixth inning.
The Knights return to action Tuesday night in Healdsburg. First pitch is 6 p.m. at Recreation Park.
