PASADENA, Calif. – The Riptide suffered their third defeat of the season to the Arroyo Seco Saints at Jackie Robinson Field. Despite a late rally in the top of the ninth inning, it was too late for the Riptide to secure a victory.
The Riptide took an early lead in the top of the first inning with Matt Spear’s RBI single. However, their momentum quickly faded as the Saints’ bullpen delivered a dominant performance, holding the Riptide scoreless for the next seven innings.
Andrew Parker started on the mound for the Riptide but struggled from the outset. He allowed two consecutive home runs in the bottom of the first inning, a stark contrast to the team’s high-scoring win the previous night. The Saints capitalized on Parker’s rough outing, scoring four more runs in the third inning, highlighted by a three-run homer from Birge, his second of the game.
The Saints continued to add to their lead, amassing a total of 11 runs by the time the Riptide came up for their final at-bats in the ninth inning. The Riptide managed to score three runs thanks to hits from Rocco Gump, Michael Diaz, Patrick Hackworth, Jake Brown, and Brenden Wilkinson, along with a walk to Matt Spear. Despite their efforts, the Riptide couldn’t overcome the deficit.
“I credit their team,” said coach Connor Spencer. “Their hitters executed well, and we caught too much of the middle of the plate today. They did a nice job of putting good swings on the ball. For us, getting down big early made it really tough to come back.”
The Riptide will seek redemption tomorrow night at the Great Park.
