14-2 five-inning victory over Middletown features two homers, seven extra-base hits
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KELSEYVILLE >> Gene Holdenried and Brock Barrick hit home runs, Max Hommer delivered a three-run double, and Kyle Watkins went 4-for-4 as the Kelseyville Knights hit for the cycle, and then some, in beating Middletown 14-2 in a five-inning North Central League I varsity baseball blowout Friday afternoon at Lloyd Larson Field.
Kelseyville won for the 40th straight time in league play while improving to 9-0 in the NCL I standings and 14-3 overall. In doing so, the Knights scored seven times in the bottom of the first, five more times in the second for a 12-0 lead, and twice in the third to go up 14-0. They registered 14 hits amassed over only four innings, including four doubles, a triple and the Holdenried and Barrick home runs.
Holdenried drove a ball deep to left-center field, a two-run shot, as part of the team’s seven-run first inning, which also included Hommer’s bases-loaded double, Barrick connected for his third homer of the season in the second inning, this one a solo shot over the scoreboard in left field.
While the Knights hit for the collective team cycle during the game, Watkins had a chance to hit for an individual cycle in his final at-bat. He was 3-for-3 to that point with a single, double and triple. He singled in that final plate appearance, though not for lack of effort, according to Kelseyville head coach Billy Shaul.
“He was definitely going for it (the home run),” Shaul said. “He had one pretty good pitch to do it, but he ended up hitting another single.”
Barrick (3-for-3) and Hommer (2-for-2, hit by pitch) also had perfect days at the plate. Hommer and winning pitcher Carson White led the team with three RBIs each while Watkins and Holdenried had two apiece. Seven different Knights drove in runs.
If these are good times for the Knights, not so for the Mustangs (2-6, 4-11-1), who have dropped three straight and seven of eight.
“It’s tough to play a really good team with a lot of young players,” Middletown head coach Kyle Buckhorn said. “Our inexperience showed.”
Added Buckhorn, “I only had nine players, six of them were JV players. Not to make excuses, but it’s tough to play a good team that way. We hit the ball well tonight, all barrels, just right at people. We’re just young right now.”
White limited Middletown to two runs in the top of the fourth inning. Cody de Jong drove in one of those runs. John Finney and Blake Costlow had the only hits for the Mustangs. White struck out four and walked three.
“Not his best outing, but he threw well enough,” Shaul said.
Cody Perez took the loss for Middletown, lasting only 2 1/3 innings.
Kelseyville plays a non-league game Saturday night against Healdsburg at Recreation Park in Healdsburg. The game could have playoff ramifications as both squads compete in North Coast Section Division 4. Healdsburg is 13-6 overall and 7-4 (second place) in the North Bay-Redwood League and has beaten Kelseyville six straight times since a 4-2 Knights win in 2019. Kelseyville comes back Tuesday with a league game at St. Helena (6-3, 14-5).
Middletown in the on the road Tuesday against Lower Lake before returning home next Friday to play Fort Bragg.