Irvine, Calif. – In Tuesday’s CCL showdown between the Orange County Riptide and the San Luis Obispo Blues, dominant pitching and clutch hitting secure a victory for the Riptide. 

Riptide starter Brady LeJeune-DeAcutis (Texas Tech) had a dominant outing, throwing four and a third scoreless innings allowing only one hit.

Starting in his first game for the Riptide, Kyle Booker (Tennessee) wasted no time recording his first hit with a double in the gap to left center. Booker advanced to third on a wild pitch by Blues’ starter Kaden Sheedy (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo). 

The score of the game remained scoreless through the first three innings. Riptide catcher Eric Bigani (UNLV) started the bottom of the fourth inning with a bang, launching a solo homerun over the left field fence.

Eric Bigani crushes solo home run to left field.
                Photo Credit: Alina Nelson

Andrew Pogue (Illinois) entered the game in relief of LeJeune-DeAcutis with one runner on in the top of the fifth. Pogue faced two batters in the inning, and retired both with a strikeout and a groundout.

Kyle Booker led of the bottom of the fifth for the Riptide, recording his second hit of the night with a single to left field. Jack-Thomas Wold (UNLV) earned a walk, putting two runners on for Eric Bigani. Bigani earned himself another RBI, bringing in Booker with a single to left field, putting the Riptide on top 2-0.

After a scoreless top of the sixth from Pogue, the Riptide bats stayed hot entering the bottom half of the inning. Emilio Rosas (USC) started the inning with a triple to deep left center field, and quickly scored after an RBI-single from first baseman Reed Spenrath (TCU), making the score 3-0.

The Riptide added to their run total once again in the bottom of the eighth. Davis Diaz (Vanderbilt), Kyle Booker, and Dwight Allen (Georgia) reached via walks, before Davis Diaz scored on a wild pitch from Blues reliever Kade Walker (Cuesta College).

Hunter Ash (Cal Poly Pomona) entered the game for the Riptide in the top of the ninth in relief of Andrew Pogue, who pitched three and two thirds scoreless innings striking out five. Ash retired the Blues in order, securing the 4-0 victory for the Riptide. 

The Riptide improved their record to 9-6 overall, and 2-4 in league play. 

The Riptide will be back at OC Great Park tomorrow night in another game against the Blues at 4:30pm PST.

OC Riptide vs. SLO Blues June 29, 2021 – Box Score