Kelseyville varsity baseball team uses strong effort by defense to turn back Clear Lake
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KELSEYVILLE >> Brock Barrick pitched a complete game, the Kelseyville offense banged out 12 hits, including some timely ones, but it was the Knights’ defense that left head coach Billy Shaul in awe during a big 7-3 win over the Clear Lake Cardinals on Friday afternoon at Lloyd Larson Field.
“They key to that game was great defense,” Shaul said as the Knights beat their archrivals to remain on top of the North Central League I varsity baseball standings at 5-0, a half-game ahead of Fort Bragg (4-0), a team they’ve yet to play, and now two full games ahead of Clear Lake (3-2 league, 8-4 overall).
While the NCL I race still has a long, long way to go, the two-time defending league champions, now winners of 36 consecutive league games dating back to 2022, are showing no signs of letting up this season.
And if you haven’t guessed it by now,, one of the reasons for that is the team’s defense.
“Brock threw the ball well, but he had only six strikeouts, which means our defense stayed pretty busy,” Shaul said. “Tyler Bryant had a great game at shortstop (six putouts). Two of them were pretty special.”
When Clear Lake scored twice in the top of the third inning to pull even with Kelseyville at 2-2, the Cardinals’ still-going rally came to a quick end when right fielder JD Smart, a freshman, fielded a single and threw out a Clear Lake runner trying to advance from first to third on the play, the third out of the inning.
“A great throw,” Shaul said.
Clear Lake head coach Brian Horne concurred.
“A perfect throw,” Horne said.
When Clear Lake scored its final run in the top of the sixth on a Jacob Horne RBI single with the bases loaded, cutting Kelseyville’s lead to 6-3, the Clear Lake coach said he didn’t send the runner who was at second base when the play started because of Smart’s arm.
“I didn’t want to risk having another runner thrown out,” Horne said.
Barrick worked out of the bases-loaded jam by retiring the next batter.
Smart wasn’t the only Kelseyville outfielder to make a great play during the game.
Center fielder Reme Strong, a senior, robbed Clear Lake’s Sawyer Smith of extra bases in the top of the third by running down a blast off Smith’s bat in deepest left-center field, his back to the infield as he made a Willie Mays-type basket catch.
“Reme tracked it down,” Shaul said. “They (Cardinals) thought it was gone.”
Yet another solid day on defense was had by Kelseyville third baseman Carson White (with three putouts), according to Shaul.
Kelseyville scored first in the game, striking for two runs in the bottom of the first inning against Clear Lake starting pitcher AJ Bruch.
Bryant singled home a run and Smart added a sacrifice fly.
Clear Lake pulled even in the top of the third. After David Cruz singled and Peyton Portlock walked, Jesse Hayes and Johnny Gonzales followed with back-to-back RBI singles.
Kelseyville pushed ahead to stay in the fourth. White opened the inning with a walk, Brayton Thomas singled him to third and Gene Holdenried’s sacrifice lineout made it 3-2.
The Knights gave themselves a little more breathing room in the bottom of the fifth on a RBI double by Max Hommer, Smart’s RBI single and a RBI fielder’s choice grounder off the bat of Holdenried.
After Jacob Horne’s RBI single made it a 6-3 game in the top of the sixth, the Knights added a final run in the bottom half, and it wasn’t the type of scoring play you’ll see very often.
“Getting that seventh run was a big one,” Shaul said. “That means it’ll take a grand slam to tie the game, so I was glad to get a four-run lead.”
Barrick led off the inning with a double after an 11-pitch at-bat that included six foul balls. Speedy Michael De John ran for Barrick and promptly took third base on a passed ball. With Bryant at the plate, De John held his ground as Bryant popped up to second base. De John tagged up at third and broke for the plate once the ball had been caught. He arrived home well ahead of the throw.
So you can add aggressive/opportunistic baserunning to the things the Knights did well on Friday. They also continue to get production from all parts of their batting order.
“Eight of my nine guys (in the starting lineup) reached base,” Shaul said.
Clear Lake’s Horne, while admitting he’s not a fan of “moral victories,” nevertheless had nothing but good things to say about the Cardinals’ effort.
“We didn’t roll over and let them flog us,” Horne said. “I’ve seen that happen to other teams they’ve played. “We were right there. It was a good game.”
Horne also was impressed with Kelseyville’s solid play.
“They have a good approach to the game, they’re seniors, and they’re well coached,” he said.
Bruch allowed 12 hits in his five innings, striking out four and walking four. Barrick threw 108 pitches during his complete game, striking out six and walking two. He needed only seven pitches to get through the seventh inning, sneaking in under the 110-pitch limit.
Barrick, Hommer, White and Bryant all finished with two hits apiece for the Knights. Hayes went 2-for-4 for the Cardinals.
Kelseyville returns to action Tuesday in Cloverdale. Clear Lake was scheduled to play Lower Lake on Tuesday, but that game has been rescheduled for early May. The Cardinals next see action Friday at Middletown.
NOTES: Kelseyville’s 36-game league winning streak began on May 10, 2022, with a 12-9 home win against Lower Lake, the league finale for both teams. Barrick, a freshman, was the winning pitcher, throwing a complete game. The Knights lost 13-9 at home to St. Helena in their prior game May 6, the Knights’ last league setback. Colin Jensen took the loss. Kelseyville’s last road league loss was 2-0 at Middletown on May 2, 2022. Barrick pitched a complete game … Clear Lake and Kelseyville meet again this season May 6 in Lakeport.
