Knights open with 2-0 loss

Colusa scores twice in the sixth to spoil Kelseyville's season debut

Jeremy Brown pitched a complete-game five-hitter, but the Kelseyville Knights lost a 2-0 pitcher’s duel to the Colusa Redhawks in non-league varsity baseball action Friday afternoon in Colusa.

It was the 2021 season opener for the Knights (0-1), who become Colusa’s third Lake County victim in its three games this year. The Redhawks beat Middletown 13-3 on Tuesday in Middletown after defeating Clear Lake 13-1 on March 12 in Colusa.

“It was nice to be out here,” Kelseyville head coach Billy Shaul of Kelseyville’s return to the same field where the Knights played their final game of the 2020 season before it was called in midMarch because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’m happy with how we played, we competed really well.”

Colusa (3-0) scored the game’s only runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, doing what the Knights couldn’t do during the game — hit the ball with runners in scoring position.

“We struck out 12 times,” Shaul said. “That’s way too many.”

The Redhawks didn’t have much luck against Brown either, at least not until the bottom of the sixth when they put their first two runners on base. A slowly hit ball up the third-base line turned into the Knights’ lone error of the day as the ball was thrown away at first base, bringing home the first run of the game and leaving runners at second and third. A sacrifice fly to left field made it2-0.

Brown, a control pitcher who throws strikes and relies on his defense to make plays behind him, kept the Colusa batters off-balance most of the way. He struck out four, walked one and hit one while throwing a 91-pitch complete game.

“He gave us a chance to win the game,” Shaul said. “Pitching and defense are our strong points and we did a good job with that today. He did a good job of staying ahead in the count.”

The Knights had scoring chances in the first, second and fourth innings, putting runners in scoring position all three innings, but couldn’t make contact when they needed it most.

“We’ll get there,” Shaul said. “This is the first time we’ve seen pitching not our own. We just need to put the bat on the ball in those types of situations.”

The Knights were scheduled to scrimmage Upper Lake on Thursday but it was rained out.

Shaul praised the play of both Brown and sophomore catcher Joey Gentle.

“No passed balls,” Shaul said. “We’ve been lucky to have some really good catchers in the past and Joey did a nice job back there.

Kelseyville had five hits as well. Brandon Garcia went 2-for-3 while Brown, Chase Larsen and Zayne Barker added a hit apiece.

Kelseyville is off until March 29 when it hosts Colusa at 4 p.m.

Game notes: While the Colusa area also received rain on Wednesday and Thursday, Shaul said the Colusa field was in excellent shape.