COMPTON, Calif. – With runners on second and third base in the top of the eighth, the Riptide were in a battle all night long. Tie game at five a piece and infielder Jack Hammond was getting ready to step up to the plate to hopefully give the Riptide the spark they needed late in the game. Hammond delivered that spark with a bouncer up the middle that secured an RBI single to give the Riptide the lead at 6-5.
The Riptide (14-8) momentum didn’t stop there as multiple wild pitches and more clutch hits helped them pave the way for an 8-6 win against the MLB Academy Barons (9-15) on Wednesday night.
Only five hits on the night for the Riptide compared to the Baron’s 10. Riptide head coach Connor Spencer is aware nights like this can happen but knows the resilience of this year’s Riptide players is second to none.
“We only got five hits tonight,” Spencer said. “This group has been resilient and they’ve done a nice job of taking advantage of what the other teams give us. It’s kind of what we have to do. Trust me, there is a lot of talent in this offense.”
The offense isn’t the only part that stood out. The late-game pitching from the Riptide was excellent as well. Reliever Tommy McGuire (Cypress College) stepped onto the mound in the bottom of the eighth and made sure this game would be a Riptide victory.
Starter Luis Becerra held the Barons scoreless through the first four innings Wednesday.
(Photo credit: Richard Gonzales)
“My mindset is to just come in and shut the door,” McGuire said. “I know whether it’s true or not. I need to tell myself I’m better than everyone and that’s the only way I can get through it.”
Wasn’t just McGuire who had an impressive night. Starting pitcher Luis Becerra impressed Spencer tonight as well. Becerra is the main reason the game stayed scoreless for the first four innings.
“I credit both starting pitchers,” Spencer said. “I think they both did a nice job. Becerra was on and their guy was on. We struggled to get anything going early. We finally got those two runs.”
Those two runs came from outfielder Ace Reese (Mississippi State) and infielder Rocco Gump (Northwestern State University) in the top of the fifth. They each have provide a lot of stability in the offense and that stability is helping Spencer find consistency in the lineup.
“They’ve put together really competitive at-bats,” Spencer said. “Lefty bats provide a lot of stability in the offense. They’ve both come up in big situations. It’s nice in summer baseball, especially, I look back at last season. It’s kind of a revolving door of where I was putting guys in the lineup. A lot of different guys were getting in there, there wasn’t much consistency, this year. It’s a different story.”
This won’t be the last matchup the Riptide will have against the Barons. They’re set to meet on Friday night at the Irvine Great Park, and the hope is to stay undefeated against the Barons for the season and improve their win streak to three games.
