LAKEPORT — The Credo Gryphon had absolutely no success navigating this Maize on Tuesday afternoon as they squared off with the host Clear Lake Cardinals in a non-league varsity baseball game.
Winning pitcher Ethan Maize went 2-for-3 with a bases-loaded triple and five RBIs overall to lead the Cardinals to a 12-4 win over the same team they beat 12-2 in five innings a week ago in Rohnert Park in the season opener for both schools.
“I can’t say enough about our bats,” Clear Lake head coach Ed Pepper said.
Maize, a senior, also had a RBI double and a sacrifice fly, but it was his bases-clearing triple that touched off a five-run Clear Lake uprising in the bottom of the fourth, extending the Cardinals’ lead to 10-4. Drake Smart singled to open the inning and walks to Maddox Albaum and Hank Ollenberger loaded them up for Maize, who blasted a line drive down the right-field line. Cody Hayes (3-for-4) followed with a RBI single and eventually scored himself to give Clear Lake a comfortable lead.
Half of Clear Lake’s eight hits went for extra bases, including triples by Maize, Hayes and Ollenberger.
“The top of my order is doing what they’re supposed to do,” Pepper said. “I’m still piecing together the bottom of my order.”
While the Cardinals (2-0) are in what Pepper calls “a building phase” that features an all-freshmen starting outfield, he said he is pleased with the team’s progress so far, especially its ability to put the bat on the ball in the early going.
“Our bats kind of beat up their pitchers,” Pepper said.
Both teams used four pitchers in the game. Maize started for Clear Lake and left after two innings with a 5-1 lead. Albaum relieved and gave up three runs in the third, his only inning of work. Ollenberger pitched three scoreless and hitless innings before Smart entered in the seventh and struck out the side.
“Ethan led it off and did a very nice job,” Pepper said. “Maddox was just off his game a little bit. Hank came in and threw three strong innings.”
Clear Lake is scheduled to host Potter Valley on Friday at 3:30 p.m. although that game may not take place, according to Pepper.
“I heard they might not have enough players, so I’m waiting to find out,” he said.
Clear Lake is entered in the St. Bernard’s Tournament on March 18-19 in Eureka and is scheduled to play McKinleyville on March 18 in the opening round. First pitch is 2 p.m.
In other baseball action Tuesday:
Colusa 6, Middletown 2
At Middletown, the Colusa RedHawks parlayed Middletown’s only two errors of the game into a four-run third inning as they beat the Mustangs in non-league action.
Colusa improved to 5-0 with the win while Middletown dropped to 0-3.
“We held our own against a good program,” Middletown head coach Tyler Holt said.
Colusa took a 4-0 lead in the top of the second. The rally started with a Middletown error and was extended by another error when the RedHawks’ No. 9 hitter reached safely with two outs.
“That inning should have been over,” Holt said. “Take away their unearned runs and we go to the seventh behind 3-2 instead of 6-2 and need only one run to tie.”
The Mustangs closed to 4-2 in the bottom of the third on a Dax Green two-run single. Hoogendoorn, Bryan Riel, Micah Dymer, Zach Dubois and Noah Williams, who doubled, had Middletown’s other hits.
Middletown’s first two batters reached in the bottom of the seventh, but that was the extent of the threat. A strikeout and two flyouts ended the game. The Mustangs made some minor noise in the fifth and sixth as well, only to strand runners in scoring position both times.
Riel took the loss, allowing five runs, but only two earned, in his 3 1/3 innings on the mound. He allowed four hits, struck out two and walked four. Luke Hoogendoorn relieved and allowed one run on four hits over the final 3 2/3 innings.
Middletown tries again for its first win of the season Friday at home against St. Bernard’s at 3:30 p.m.
Healdsburg 3, Kelseyville 0
At Healdsburg, Kelseyville was shut out by Healdsburg under the lights at Recreation Park where the visiting Knights (0-4) were hoping to secure their first win of the season and also avenge a 9-0 loss to Healdsburg last week in Kelseyville.
Despite a solid six innings from losing pitcher Brock Barrick, the Knights could generate only three hits on offense as they were shut out by the Greyhounds for a second time this season.
“He did great,” Kelseyville head coach Billy Shaul said of the freshman Barrick, the younger brother of former Knights star Logan Barrick. “It was a great outing for him.”
Healdsburg (3-2) scored twice in the bottom of the first inning after Kelseyville booted a potential double play ground ball for an error.
“We should have gotten at least one out on it,” Shaul said.
The error extended the inning and allowed Healdsburg to score both of its runs. The Greyhounds added an earned run in the third, but Barrick was otherwise able to keep Healdsburg’s bats in check, allowing only four hits while striking out eight and walking just one.
“He was up for the challenge, he wanted to face their best hitters,” Shaul said of Barrick, who allowed a two-out, bases-empty triple in the bottom of the fifth before getting Healdsburg’s No. 3 hitter to ground out and end the inning. On the triple, center fielder Tyler Bryant made a fully extended dive in the right-center field gap and just missed making the catch.
“He almost made a great play,” Shaul said of Bryant, who also had one of Kelseyville’s three hits.
Joey Gentle and Jake Burke had the Knights’ other hits.
Kelseyville returns to action Saturday in McKinleyville and will play a doubleheaders against the Panthers (2-0). The first game begins at 11 a.m.
