Knights lose for only third time in 15 games this season
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KELSEYVILLE >> Rancho Cotate scored four times in the top of the third inning with some help from the Kelseyville defense, enough for the Cougars to claim a 5-3 non-league victory over the Knights in varsity baseball action Saturday at Lloyd Larson Field.
It was only the third loss in 15 games for Kelseyville this season, all of them of the non-league variety. Both teams are atop their respective league standings – Kelseyville in the North Central League I and Rancho Cotate in the North Bay Oak League (the Cougars currently share the top spot with Cardinal Newman).
While Kelseyville out-hit Rancho Cotate 11-5, the Knights stranded all kinds of baserunners.
“No timely hitting,” Kelseyville head coach Billy Shaul said to sum up the day for Kelseyville’s offense.
“We had three hits in the first inning and scored only one run. We had chances to score more runs,” Shaul added.
After taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, the Knights stranded runners in scoring position in the second, third and fourth, leaving the bases loaded in the fourth.
Rancho Cotate pushed ahead 4-1 in the third.
“That was a killer,” Shaul said. “Only two of those runs were earned.”
Coming off a long road trip to Fort Bragg on Friday may have had something to do with his team’s performance Saturday, according to Shaul.
“We were kind of flat, you could see that,” Shaul said. “We had two starters out (excused absences). It was kind of a weird day.”
Tyler Bryant, the first of three Kelseyville pitchers, worked the first three innings and took the loss despite a decent pitching line – three hits allowed, four runs (two earned), one strikeout and three walks.
“He threw the ball pretty well,” Shaul said.
JD Smart, a freshman, relieved and worked the next three innings, allowing two hits, one of which accounted for Rancho Cotate’s final run as Cadin Bolin Percy homered. Smart struck out two and walked one. Gene Holdenried worked a perfect seventh, striking out two.
Kelseyville scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to narrow the gap.
With a pair of Kelseyville starters out, Shaul was able to give his bench some quality playing time. Casey Huston took advantage by going 2-for-3 with a double, freshman catcher Charles Pivniska went 1-for-3 with a double, and Smart went 2-for-4 with a double.
“Casey took advantage, he hit two balls hard,” Shaul said.
Bryant went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Carson White (2-for-4) drove in the Knights’ other run.
Kelseyville opens the second half of its league campaign Tuesday in Lower Lake. The Knights beat the Trojans 10-0 in five innings on March 28 in the league opener for both teams at Lloyd Larson Field. Brock Barrick pitched a no-hitter.
