{"id":6675,"date":"2026-05-15T22:46:05","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T22:46:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/briansumptersports.com\/?p=6675"},"modified":"2026-05-15T22:46:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T22:46:05","slug":"cards-secure-automatic-berth-top-knights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/briansumptersports.com\/?p=6675","title":{"rendered":"Cards secure automatic berth, top Knights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

9-4 win closes out regular season as both county teams wait for Sunday’s playoff meeting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lake County Sports on Facebook<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LAKEPORT >> Even down two starters to start the game, Clear Lake made the Kelseyville Knights pay for errors in the field and blunders on the basepaths, adding up to a 9-4 home win Thursday in a North Central League I tiebreaker game that gives the Cardinals the league\u2019s automatic berth into next week\u2019s North Coast Section playoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clear Lake, Kelseyville and St. Helena tied for the NCL I title this season, resulting in a three-team playoff this week to determine the league\u2019s automatic playoff representative. Kelseyville defeated St. Helena 7-4 on Wednesday in Kelseyville, with the Knights advancing to the tiebreaker final Thursday at Lakeport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelseyville, St. Helena and Fort Bragg, the fourth-place team in the NCL I, should all land at-large berths on Sunday when the section release the playoff fields in all divisions. Just how many of the NCL I\u2019s playoffs team will end up in the same division remains to be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Knights (13-12) had been 10-runned by the Cardinals (16-8-1) twice in April, both times by 12-2 final scores. While the third meeting between the two archrivals also went to the Cardinals for a season sweep, Kelseyville certainly showed more signs of life than in either of the first two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clear Lake was minus one of its top players in senior Sawyer Smith, who was held out of action as a precaution because of neck soreness, according to Clear Lake head coach Brian Horne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another starter, Ezekiel Lopez, didn\u2019t start for team disciplinary reasons but did take the field later in the game. Three other Clear Lake players, all freshmen reserves, had to sit out a game for academic reasons but should return for the playoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for Sawyer, who hits in the middle of the Clear Lake batting order and is one of the team\u2019s top pitchers, Horne said he could return for the playoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hope so,\u201d he said. \u201cWe just didn\u2019t want to take any chances today. This isn\u2019t a game we needed to win to reach the playoffs, so why risk him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelseyville wasn\u2019t in a must-win situation either although the Knights, who had won six straight since dropping a pair of league games to Clear Lake, had been on a nice roll since then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head coach Billy Shaul said the team played better than either of its first two games against Clear Lake, just not good enough to get the win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe kids have done a great job to get us where we\u2019re at (after a 1-9 start to their season) and I think we\u2019ll bounce back just fine,\u201d Shaul said. \u201cIt would have been to get a win because that probably would have meant a home game. Now I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both starting pitchers turned in competent efforts though both were touched for three runs in the first inning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Cruz drew the start for Clear Lake and while he didn\u2019t pitch enough innings to qualify for the win, he did leave the game after three innings with a 4-3 lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe hung tough for us,\u201d Horne said. \u201cHe competes like no other and I\u2019ve put in him those situations (emergency starts) like that all year. He\u2019s a grinder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cruz allowed four hits and three unearned runs while striking out one and walking four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brayton Thomas certainly did his job, keeping Kelseyville in the game through four innings and the Knights trailing only 5-4. Kelseyville closed to within a run of the Cardinals in the top of the fifth on the strength of a hit batsman, walk, Elijah Watkins single on which an error as the ball was being return to the infield allowed the run to score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe did what we asked him to \u2026 keep us close,\u201d Shaul said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clear Lake finally pulled away with a four-run bottom of the fifth. Thomas faced the first batters in the inning and they all reached safely. Zane McAuley (2-for-3, RBI) led off with a single to left and Ryken Villanueva (2-for-4, two doubles, three RBIs) doubled him over to third base. Lopez was hit by a pitch to loa the bases. Cruz followed with a flyball to medium-deep right field that was dropped for error, two runs scoring on the play to make it 7-4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reese Johnson came on in relief at that point. A balk moved Clear Lake runners to second and third, and Fabian Moreno hit a sacrifice fly to right field. The Cardinals\u2019 final run scored on a passed ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelseyville\u2019s outfield defense really struggled on this day. Even though Knights were playing the Cardinals deep in the outfield, the hard-hitting Clear Lake batters still managed to drive balls over their heads and into the gaps, much to Shaul\u2019s frustration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe played our outfielders way back because they hit the ball a long way, but we still got beat deep,\u201d Shaul said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way the game started, it looked like it might be a long day. Taking advantage of a two-out Clear Lake error that prolonged the inning and led to the game\u2019s first run, Thomas tripled to deep right-center field to make it 2-0, and Watkins doubled down the left-field line, the ball nicking third base along the way, for the third run of the inning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clear Lake came right back in the bottom half. Jesse Hayes (2-for-4) led off the game with an infield single, Johnny Gonzales III (2-for-3, two doubles, RBI) walked and AJ Bruch sacrificed both runners along. McAuley drew a walk to load the bases for Ryken Villanueva, who delivered with a two-run single into right-center. An error on the play scored a third run, and allowed Villanueva to advance all the way to third base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelseyville baserunning mistakes proved almost as costly as its outfield defense on this day. The Knights threatened in the second and third innings only to come away empty. In the second, back-to-back walks to open the inning had Shaul\u2019s club in business. Deake Lyndall laid down what appeared to be a perfect sacrifice bunt but was called out for running outside the lane down the first-base line. Even worse, the runners had to return to first and second. JD Smart popped a ball into shallow right field that was ruled an infield fly dropped by Clear Lake\u2019s second baseman. While Smart was automatically out, the other runners were able to move up on the dropped ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case Pivniska walked to load the bases, but Carson Stone bounced out into a force play at second base to end the inning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas retired the Cardinals in order in the bottom of the second before Kelseyville threatened again in the top of the third. With one out, Watkins walked and Ryan Keithly doubled him over to third base. Shaul held Watkins at third while Keithly tore around second base headed toward third. He was caught in a rundown and quickly tagged out, leaving Watkins at third base with two outs. Max Lee grounded out to shortstop to end the inning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was holding him (Watkins) up,\u201d Shaul said of Keithly\u2019s double. \u201cHe (Keithly) has got to know what to do in that situation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clear Lake pushed in front to stay in the bottom of the third. Gonzales doubled to left field leading off and Bruch hit a flyball to left that was dropped for an error, leaving runners at the corners. While Bruch was cut down stealing, McAuley bounced a single into left field to make it 4-3. Villanueva bounced into a force play that might have been an inning-ending double play, but there was no throw to first base because the Kelseyville infielder thought there it was the third out. Lopez was hit by a pitch to extend the inning, but Cruz bounced into a force play at third for the final out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cardinals added another run in the fourth. Moreno hit a flyball into right field that was tailing toward the line, Kelseyville\u2019s outfielder dove for the ball but missed as it bounced past him. Moreno motored all the way around to third base for a triple. Two outs later he was still at third, but Gonzales hit a ground-rule double to right field, the ball rolling onto the blacktop to make it 5-3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been playing all year, but we\u2019ve used him more as a fielder in recent games,\u201d Horne said. \u201cHe kind of lost his confidence at the plate. I\u2019m proud of what he did today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t play defense like that or those are the things that can happen, especially against a good team,\u201d Shaul said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe did what you’ve got to do and took advantage of their mistakes,” Horne added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the Knights had scoring opportunities early against Cruz, reliever Bruch slammed down the door over the final four innings, picking up the victory. He allowed just two hits and one unearned run while striking out eight and walking one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stone and Watkins each finished with two hits for the Knights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GAME NOTES:<\/strong> Shaul said he expected Kelseyville to end up in Division 5 and Clear Lake in Division 4. The Cardinals made it all the way to the Division 4 finals a year ago, losing to Las Lomas 5-1 \u2026 With four straight league titles to their credit \u2013 2023 (undisputed), 2024 (undisputed), 2025 (undisputed) and this season (tri-champions) \u2013 the Knights, who are sophomore dominated, could end up adding to that runs in the coming seasons \u2026 Clear Lake went 3-0 against Kelseyville this season, Kelseyville went 3-0 against St. Helena, and Fort Bragg went 2-0 against Clear Lake, so matchups do matter \u2026 League coaches will select the All-League team next week and it will be interesting to see how that shakes out, especially regarding the MVP award. Horne said he has a favorite \u2026 Clear Lake\u2019s Jesse Hayes, one of the top basestealers in the North Coast Section, stole two more on Thursday. Among the top hitters in the NCL I this season, Hayes is also error free as the Cardinals\u2019 center field.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

9-4 win closes out regular season as both county teams wait for Sunday’s playoff meeting Lake County Sports on Facebook LAKEPORT >> Even down two starters to start the game, Clear Lake made the Kelseyville Knights pay for errors in the field and blunders on the basepaths, adding up to a 9-4 home win Thursday […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[85,16,84,17],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/briansumptersports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6675"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/briansumptersports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/briansumptersports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briansumptersports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briansumptersports.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6675"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/briansumptersports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6677,"href":"https:\/\/briansumptersports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6675\/revisions\/6677"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briansumptersports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/briansumptersports.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briansumptersports.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briansumptersports.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}