IRVINE, Calif – The Riptide remain on a hot streak, securing another victory by edging out the Santa Barbara Foresters 5-4 on Sunday night.
Andrew Parker had another strong start for the Riptide as he pitched five innings and only allowed one run on five hits. (Photo courtesy Dingers Photography)
The Foresters took an early lead with an RBI groundout in the top of the first inning. However, the Riptide quickly responded, tying the game in the bottom of the first with a single from Ace Reese that brought Patrick Hackworth home.
The Riptide added another run in the bottom of the second when Jake Brown was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Jack Hammond. In the fourth inning, the Riptide extended their lead by scoring three more runs. Patrick Hackworth contributed with an RBI on a defensive error, followed by a balk from the Foresters’ pitcher, and a successful steal of home plate.
Starting pitcher Andrew Parker delivered another strong performance for the Riptide, pitching five innings, allowing only five hits and one earned run while striking out eight.
The Foresters remained quiet until the top of the seventh inning when they rallied to score three runs, narrowing the score to 5-4. However, they ultimately fell short of taking the lead. The final score remained 5-4 in favor of the Riptide.
The Riptide’s additional pitchers included Arthur Liu, Justin Guzman, Koehn Thomas, and Sammy Cova.
Reflecting on the team’s adjustments, head coach Connor Spencer said, “We had some new additions this week, and I think the guys are starting to make necessary adjustments. They really meshed this past weekend and are enjoying being around each other. I told them earlier this week to take a hard look in the mirror and ask themselves why they’re here, and I think they did a great job playing clean and competitive baseball.”
Coach Andrew Ramos added, “It’s hard to have fun when you’re losing games, especially when you’re trying to find that vibe and rhythm with your teammates. That’s why summer ball is always a challenge to begin with. In the past couple of weeks, the boys have been clicking more, and you’ve seen a lot more interaction. The overall morale is better.”
The Riptide aim to continue their success on Tuesday night back at the Great Park.
