PASADENA, Calif. — The Riptide jumped out to an early lead with a two-run first and never looked back, pulling away late to secure a convincing 11-5 win over the Arroyo Seco Saints.
The Ritpide jumped out to an early lead in the first after a Jake Evans (Cal St Long Beach) double off the wall and set the tone for Carter Danz (Northwestern University), who drove a deep fly ball over the wall. Taking a 2-0 lead at the top of the first.
In the bottom of the first, the Saints collected a couple of early base runners and ended the inning at 2-1 after a throw from Henry McDonald (Portal) got passed Jake Lambdin (Duke University) at second, bringing home the runner from third.
OC answered back in the top of the fourth, Luke Johnson (Cornell University) singled up the middle, and the first walk of the day for the Tide, courtesy of Jack Salmon (UNLV), led to a runner in scoring position. McDonald capitalized and drove home Johnson to extend the lead.
The Saints opened the bottom of the fourth with a single, a stolen base, and a sac-fly, putting a runner on third with one out. A wild pitch allowed the baserunner to cross the plate and cut the deficit to one.
Lambdin led off the top of the fifth with a walk and a stolen base. Bradley Navarro (University of Utah) advanced Lambdin to third with a fielder’s choice. Evans drew a walk and stole second; a wild throw from the Arroyo Seco’s catcher scored Lambdin. After a pitching change for the Saints, a wild pitch and a two-run home run from Reid Montgomery (Long Beach State University) added a couple of insurance runs, leading by five to end the first half of the fifth.
In the top of the 9th Danz walked and stole three bases on wild pitches to score the first run. Montgomery followed with an RBI single, then stole second. After a strikeout and walk, Riley Hunsaker (California Baptist University) singled home another, and Navarro capped the inning with a two-run single.
The Riptide face the Saints at home Saturday night at 7:00pm.
