[New post] Fossa, Knights beat Cards for fourth straight win
Lake County Record-Bee posted: " KELSEYVILLE — Kelseyville bunched together four hits in the span of five batters during a four-run bottom of the second inning and the red-hot Knights went on to beat the Clear Lake Cardinals 5-3 in North Central League I softball action Friday in Kel" Lake County Record-Bee
KELSEYVILLE — Kelseyville bunched together four hits in the span of five batters during a four-run bottom of the second inning and the red-hot Knights went on to beat the Clear Lake Cardinals 5-3 in North Central League I softball action Friday in Kelseyville.
Kelseyville (5-3 league, 7-6 overall) won its fourth straight in league play to move past Clear Lake (5-4, 9-6) in the NCL I standings.
"They just stayed composed, played smart and played together," said Kelseyville head coach Julie Jackson, the former standout Clear Lake catcher and a member of the Cardinals' 27-0 team in 2007. "We did so much better at minimizing our mistakes and moving on from out mistakes. We didn't dwell on them. They're playing like a team now, they're playing together."
It was a big turnaround from Kelseyville's first meeting with Clear Lake on March 27 in Lakeport where the Cardinals won 13-4.
"They played much better," Clear Lake head coach Scott Schaefers said of the Knights, who committed just one error and banged out nine hits to Clear Lake's five.
"They played good defense," Clear Lake assistant coach Marci Psalmonds added. "They really did a nice job."
Winning pitcher Jayden Paulich struck out seven and walked two. The only earned run she allowed was Camrin Pivniska's home run to center field in the top of the second that put Clear Lake on top 1-0.
Kelseyville came right back to take the lead in the bottom of the inning. After Faith McIntire reached on an error, a dropped flyball that allowed McIntire to reach second base, Morgan Rogers' RBI single tied the game. One out later Ana Ray doubled home Rogers to give the Knights a 2-1 lead. Ari Fossa, who was a perfect 3-for-3 on the day, followed with a double to drive in Rogers. Kat Wheelan's RBI single made it 4-1.
Clear Lake scored single runs in the third and fifth innings to close to 4-3. Kelseyville got one of those runs back in the bottom of the sixth when Fossa singled home her second run of the game with a clutch two-out hit.
"That was big," Jackson said of the insurance run Paulich and the Knights didn't end up needing.
Wheelan and Rogers both went 2-for-3 for the Knights, including their second-inning RBIs.
Paulich kept Clear Lake's batters off balance, according to Schaefers.
"We struggle with the slower pitchers," he said. "You can't win with five hits."
"She did her job," Jackson said of Paulich, a junior.
Losing pitcher Atiana Patino, a freshman, turned in another solid outing after going the distance Thursday in a 5-4 non-league win over San Rafael. She struck out seven and walked none. The difference was Kelseyville's ability to bunch its hits together during the second inning.
"We got the right hits at the right time," Jackson said.
Fossa, the team's catcher, hit the ball hard all game.
"She had a solid day all around," Jackson added.
The Knights remain home Tuesday to play Fort Bragg (6-2) while the Cardinals are home to play Cloverdale (5-3).
In other NCL I action Friday:
Fort Bragg 9, Middletown 1
At Fort Bragg, Timberwolves ace Cassiti Baroni carried a no-hitter and shutout into the fifth innings as Fort Bragg improved to 6-2 in league play with a win over the visiting Middletown Mustangs (2-6, 3-6).
Baroni's no-hitter lasted until Breanna Pyzer tripled with one out in the fifth. She later scored on a two-out error. It was the only hit allowed by the Fort Bragg senior, who struck out 16. The Timberwolves remain two games behind St. Helena (8-0) in the league standings.
Brooklyn Wood pitched a complete game for Middletown, allowing 11 hits, striking out two and walking four. She allowed seven earned runs.
Stella Ellis went 3-for-4 for Fort Bragg with a double, RBI and three runs scored. Lemara Hendricks went 2-for-4 with a RBI, Kailee Thompson went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Mackenzie Rose went 2-for-3.
Middletown lost 18-1 in five innings to Fort Bragg on March 27 at Fort Bragg.
The Mustangs host St. Helena on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
In junior varsity action, Middletown beat Fort Bragg 5-4 as winning pitcher Taluelah Madrid tossed a complete game and struck out eight. Madrid closed out the Timberwolves with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.
Middletown (4-2) was led at the plate by Harley Holley (3-for-4, two RBIs), Beverly Fetters (3-for-4, RBI) and Allison Pina (1-for-3, two RBIs).
The Mustangs are home Tuesday to play St. Helena.
Cloverdale 13, Lower Lake 2 (6 inn.)
At Lower Lake, Becca Theodorou smacked a two-run homer to right-center field in the bottom of the fourth inning for Lower Lake's only runs in a six-inning loss to the Cloverdale Eagles.
"It was beautiful," Lower Lake head coach Tara Downey said of Theodorou's blast. "It went way past the fence line."
Theodorou (2-for-3) had two of the Trojans' five hits.
"We finally got out bats going a little bit, but we made too many infield errors," Downey said.
The Eagles improved to 5-3 in the league standings while Lower Lake fell to 1-8 and 2-9 overall.
Keeley Parks pitched the first two innings for the Trojans and took the loss. Kaitlyn Klein worked the final four innings.
Lower Lake can snap its seven-game losing streak Tuesday when it visits Willits at 4 p.m.
No comments:
Post a Comment