SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Orange County Riptide fell just short of securing the No. 1 seed in the 2025 California Collegiate League South Division playoffs Sunday, as they lost to the San Luis Obispo Blues 4-3 in 10 innings to round out the regular season.
Along with this Riptide loss, the Conejo Oaks defeated the San Diego Bombers Sunday, so the Riptide will be the No. 2 seeded team heading into the playoffs.
The Riptide got on the board in the top of the first inning Sunday, after a single from Carter Danz (Northwestern University) advanced a walked Jake Evans (California State University, Long Beach) to third base, who then stole home to put the Riptide up 1-0.
The top of the second, third, and fourth innings, each saw three Riptide batters up, and three Riptide batters down, as the Blues pitching staff began to find their rhythm.
It wasn’t until the top of the fifth inning that the Riptide bats were reawakened. A single from Zach Crandall (University of California, Irvine) started the inning, before Dylan Nieto (California State University, Fullerton), who typically pitches for the Riptide and was batting in a game for the first time this summer, doubled to advance Crandall to third. Riley Hunsaker (California Baptist University) then doubled to score Crandall and Nieto and give the Riptide a 3-0 lead.
Starting pitcher Hauze Fragoso (California State University, Bakersfield) tossed six shutout innings, allowing just three hits and one walk, and striking out five Blues batters. In the bottom of the seventh inning, pitcher Jack Morrissey (Belmont University) took over in relief on the mound, after which momentum quickly started to turn in the Blues’ favor.
Following two four-pitch walks to start the bottom of the seventh inning, a fly out allowed one walked-runner to advance to third base. A pitch in the dirt then allowed the second walked-runner to advance to second, putting two Blues players in scoring position. Morrissey struck out a batter on a dropped third strike for out number two before pitcher Jake Spence (San Francisco State University) was subbed in to finish the inning. Spence was able to strikeout the last batter of the inning, but not before he balked and allowed the Blues runner from third to score.
In the top of the eighth inning, a leadoff stand-up double from Bradley Navarro (University of Utah), a walk to Luke Johnson (Cornell University), and an intentional walk issued to Reid Montgomery (California State University, Long Beach) loaded the bases with two outs, but the Riptide were unable to bring anyone home.
The bottom of the eighth inning started with a Blues single, followed by an RBI double, and then an RBI single. After the Blues tied the game at three apiece, Riptide pitcher Nick Bonn (Dallas Baptist University) was brought in to close the inning and the game. After a fielding error by Jake Evans, a fielder’s choice, and an intentional walk, the Riptide were able to escape with a strikeout and fly out to the final two batters of the inning.
The Riptide got two men on in the top of the ninth inning, and the Blues one in the bottom of the inning, but neither team scored, sending the game into extra innings.
A strikeout, fly out, and ground out in the top of the 10th left Jake Evans, the automatic runner, stranded at second base. In the bottom of the 10th, a double advanced the Blues’ automatic runner to third, which was followed by a hit to left field to bring him home and win the game 4-3.
“Balking in a run killed us,” said Head Coach Bryan Evans. “We weren’t productive on the base path. We weren’t productive at the plate. We had a leadoff double,…didn’t get him in. The game wasn’t lost in the eighth inning, it was lost before that.”
The Riptide will face off with the Arroyo Seco Saints in the CCL South Division Wild Card game on Tuesday, July 29 at the Great Park at 7 p.m.
“I have all the confidence in the world in these kids,” Coach Evans said. “I think we’re in a good spot, and I think as long as we do our thing, and manufacture some runs, and put the ball in play, and keep their guys off balance, then I think we have a really good shot.”
