Pasadena, Calif. – The Orange County Riptide’s season record stands at 8-6 after a tough 4-3 loss at the hand of the Arroyo Seco Saints that saw both team’s pitching staffs and offenses battle and come up clutch all game. The Riptide now have an 0-2 record against the Saints in 2021 after Arroyo Seco logged 10 hits en route to a 14-4 win back on June 22nd.
Save for Spencer Serven (UT-Rio Grande Valley) who went 2-4 with two RBIs and a pair of doubles, the Riptide offense operated by committee as eight of the nine men in the batting order registered at least one hit. UNLV’s Austin Kryszczuk logged the only other RBI for Orange County in the loss.
Sunday’s game began in a similar fashion to the first contest between the teams where the Saints scored six in the opening frame. Arroyo Seco would try to follow that formula on Sunday with a leadoff home run in the first inning. Jackson State’s Nikelle Galatas, who got the start in his third season appearance, bounced back to keep the score 1-0. He also allowed a leadoff double an inning later but stranded the runner by retiring the next three in order.
Galatas‘ efforts paid off in the third inning with Serven’s first double of the night that scored Cody Dreiss (Washington St.) and Tyler Griggs (Central Arizona College) to put the Riptide up 2-1. Dreiss himself doubled earlier in the inning prior to Griggs walking which put men on first and second for Serven’s early clutch hit.
But the Saints struck back in the bottom of the fourth with a run-scoring double to tie the game at two, and then put men on the corners with still one out in the inning looking to re-take the lead. A fielder’s choice would allow the man on third to score and give Arroyo Seco a 3-2 lead as the middle innings got underway.
Galatas left the game after four strong innings of work that kept the Riptide in the game with both teams going to their bullpens in the fifth inning. Arkansas’ Matthew Magre got the call in relief and tossed two consecutive scoreless frames to send the game to the seventh inning with the score still 3-2 advantage Saints.
After not scoring since the third inning, the Riptide offense came back around in the seventh to tie the score 3-3. It was another RBI double, this time courtesy of Kryszczuk that brought home Griggs who led off the inning with a single.
Arroyo Seco, who hadn’t scored since the fourth, proved their offensive prowess again with a run-scoring double after the stretch that came with two outs and upped the score to 4-3. Shawn Hepler (Xavier) came out of the bullpen to begin the eighth inning and set down the Saints in order as the Riptide would get one more chance after not being able to score in the bottom of the eighth. Magre finished with three innings and allowed only four of the 13 men he faced to reach base.
Orange County’s offense battled back all night long, but couldn’t find a tying run in the ninth to send the game to extra innings as the Saints prevailed in the back-and-forth contest that ended with a final of 4-3.
The Riptide (8-6) will have Monday off before starting a three-game homestand on Tuesday against the San Luis Obispo Blues. First pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m. PST from OC Great Park. All Riptide home games will be available to watch live on the Riptide Youtube channel.
The Riptide will play a second game against San Luis on Wednesday before wrapping up the homestand on Thursday versus the Ventura Pirates for the second time of the season.
OC Riptide vs. Arroyo Seco Saints June 27, 2021 – Box Score