IRVINE, Calif. — The Orange County Riptide rallied late to record a 9-4 win Saturday night at home, splitting a two-game series against the Arroyo Seco Saints.
After four scoreless innings, Camden Burdick energized the game with a double in the bottom of the fifth inning, which advanced a hit-by-pitch Jimmy Zakhar to third base. Zakhar then scored on a passed ball to put the Riptide on the board first.
“It was a very timely hit,” Head Coach Bryan Evans said. “That hit kind of sparked us a little bit and got us going.”
The ‘Tide added insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning when, with the bases loaded, Burdick reached first base on an error by Saints shortstop Trotter Enright, which forced home Camden Sos.
Burdick said he finds confidence to deliver for his team when he is able to “stick to a consistent plan and trust [his] approach and trust the guys behind [him].”
With the bases still loaded, Bradley Navarro came up to bat behind Burdick and delivered a single to right field to score Jake Evans and Zach Crandall. The bottom of the sixth inning ended with the Riptide up 4-0.
Riptide starting pitcher Jonathon Van Ness and reliever Michael Erspamer combined to hold the Saints to seven innings of zeroes until the Saints’ Eli Lopez singled off of Riley Hunsaker in the top of the eighth inning to score Jax Ryan. Hunsaker was able to get Enright to fly out, but walked Jacob Freer before exiting the game.
With Kadin Muckley on the mound, another batter, Jack Little, was issued a walk before Lane Haworth doubled to score three runs for the Saints, tying the game 4-4. Gannon Snyder was hit by a pitch from Muckley, who then balked and advanced Haworth and Snyder to third and second base, respectively.
Jack O’Malley got the Riptide out of the top of the eighth inning with a strikeout to the batter that led off the inning, but not before he issued one last walk to JJ Kennett to load the bases.
The Riptide batted around and then some in the bottom of the eighth inning, answering back with five runs and two hits. A hit batter and three walks started the inning, with Evans, who was the hit batter, scoring on a wild pitch. Jonathan Rodriguez and Carter Danz each had an RBI single, Johnson scored Burdick on a sacrifice fly, and Evans was issued a bases loaded walk to force in one last run and bring the score to 9-4.
O’Malley was able to close the game in the top of the ninth inning, allowing just one hit.
The Riptide will face the MLB Academy Barons on Sunday, June 15 at 5:30 p.m. at Great Park, in hopes of getting another win streak underway.
