KELSEYVILLE — The undefeated Arcata Tigers rolled through Lloyd Larson Field in Kelseyville like a buzz saw Saturday afternoon, sweeping the Knights 14-1 in a six-inning first game and 21-0 in a five-inning second game of a non-league varsity baseball doubleheader.
And Arcata (6-0) did it with raw power as the senior-dominated squad bashed five home runs, including two grand slams. The Tigers amassed 29 hits in the back-to-back blowouts.
“We were overwhelmed,” Kelseyville head coach Billy Shaul said as his mostly young squad had to rely on its younger pitchers after using ace Zayne Barker against Cloverdale a day earlier in a 7-6 league-opening win over Cloverdale at Kelseyville.
Then again, it might not have mattered who drew either start against an Arcata team that pounds the ball, according to Shaul.
“They are probably one of the best teams I’ve seen in high school since I’ve been working with Lou (Poloni, former longtime Kelseyville head coach and now an assistant),” Shaul said. “They have six starting seniors, they look like baseball players and they are baseball players. They may be better than the team that beat us in the semifinals.”
Shaul was referring to Kelseyville’s 2-1 loss to Arcata in the North Coast Section Division 4 semifinals back in 2016 at Arcata. Shaul was a Knights assistant coach on that 20-3 Kelseyville squad.
“They’re pitching might not be as good as that (2016) team, but overall they’re a real good baseball team,” Shaul said.
Arcata scored in every inning of game one, collecting 14 hits, two of them home runs. A five-run sixth inning put the Tigers’ lead into double figures and the game was called after six complete because of the 10-run mercy rule.
Kelseyville’s lone run of the game, and of the day, came in the bottom of of the third inning on a RBI groundout by Jake Burke. The Knights’ only two hits were singles by Joey Gentle and Andrew Huggins.
Jon Dougherty, the first of five Kelseyville pitchers, worked the first two innings, allowing four runs on four hits. Following him to the mound were Josh Harding, Gentle, Kyle Watkins and Colin Jensen.
The second game saw Arcata score all 21 of its runs in just two innings — a 10-run top of the first and an 11-run top of the fifth. It also featured two home runs in the same inning by Nick Parker, who led off the game with a solo shot and hit a grand slam in his next at-bat.
Will Mager connected with the bases loaded in the Tigers’ 11-run fifth inning, his second home run of the day after a two-run shot in game one.
Losing pitcher Jensen lasted just one-third of an inning after giving up six hits, two walks and nine runs. The Knights used four relivers over the final 4 2/3 innings, with Huggins working most of that. He went 3 2/3, allowing 11 runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and three walks.
The Knights were again limited to two hits, singles by freshmen Tyler Bryant and Max Hommer.
Half of Arcata’s wins this season have come against Lake County teams. The Tigers also beat Middletown 13-0 in the St. Bernard’s Tournament earlier this month in Eureka.
Kelseyville resumes its league schedule Tuesday against Clear Lake in Lakeport at 4 p.m.
