Clear Lake hasn't had much luck against Kelseyville recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Cardinals will be playing in front of their home fans against the Knights at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Friday, Clear Lake made easy work of Cloverdale and carried off a 9-2 victory. The win continues a trend for the Cardinals in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won five in a row.
Sawyer Smith was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs and one stolen base. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March.
Jesse Hayes
| 05/02/25 @ Cloverdale | 1 |
| 04/29/25 @ Fort Bragg | 3 |
| 04/25/25 vs Upper Lake | 3 |
| 04/22/25 @ St. Helena | 1 |
| 04/18/25 @ Middletown | 4 |
| + 2 more games |
In other batting news, Jesse Hayes was incredible, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three RBI, one stolen base, and one double. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last seven games he's played. Dalton Harris was another key player, going 2-for-4 with four RBI.
Clear Lake kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in seven consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Kelseyville came tearing into Friday's matchup with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victors by an 11-2 margin over the Cougars.
Like Clear Lake, Kelseyville also got a great game from a two-way player: Brayton Thomas. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Thomas was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kyle Watkins, who went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Reme Strong, who went 1-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Kelseyville pushed their record up to 16-3 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Clear Lake, their victory bumped their record up to 12-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Clear Lake has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Kelseyville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Clear Lake couldn't quite get it done against Kelseyville in their previous matchup back in April as they fell 7-3. Will the Cardinals have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
