IRVINE, Calif. – The Riptide dominated game two of a unique doubleheader on Tuesday night by shutting out the San Diego SunRays in an 8-0 home win.
The last game between the SunRays and the Riptide on June 30th did not complete due to the extra inning game going past 11 pm when the Great Park Sprinklers turned on, making the Championship Stadium field unsafe to play. The Riptide and SunRays finished the suspended game in game one of a doubleheader, with the SunRays securing an 8-7 victory to start the night.
Luke Sterner pitched five scoreless innings and picked up a win in the Riptide’s 8-0 win over the SunRays. (Photo courtesy Rachael Patin Photography)
The Riptide faced immense pressure to win the second contest and pick up a split on the night to keep up in the CCL South Division standings. OC called on right-hander Luke Sterner (Brigham Young University) to start game two and lead the team into what manager Connor Spencer described as a “must-win” game.
Sterner did not disappoint, as he immediately took control of the game on the mound for the Riptide. The starter held the SunRays scoreless in five innings of work and continued to impress in the strikeout category by fanning a whopping nine San Diego hitters.
“My mindset always is just to compete,” Sterner said. “Early on I recognized I didn’t have all of my best stuff, so I just used my fastball to get ahead early and used change-ups along with curve balls when I could.”
The Riptide offense had Sterner’s back, especially early in the game as the team manufactured a huge five-run first inning with their first six hitters getting on base with hits.
A pair of CCL Showcase selections spearheaded a strong start for the Riptide, with infielders Patrick Hackworth (University of California San Diego) and Ace Reese (Mississippi State University) each slashing RBI hits in their first at-bats.
Infielders Jack Hammond (Long Beach State University) and Luke Johnson (Cornell University) kept the train moving with a pair of RBI doubles to extend the Riptide lead to 5-0.
Outside of the first, the lineup found little success against SunRays pitching, but in the fourth inning, Reese sparked another rally with a two-run RBI double to continue his hot night.
Hackworth tacked on the last run of the night, scoring in the eighth after reaching on a single to complete a 4-5 night for him at the plate.
Remarkably, Reesse matched Hackworth’s night, going 4-5 in the box, but also picked up an additional three RBIs to pair with his four hits.
The duo currently leads the team in hits and will continue to be a crucial component of the team’s success during the team’s push to the playoffs.
“I thought both of them stayed inside the ball really well tonight and used the other side of the field,” Spencer said. “Those guys are staples in our lineup for a reason and they allow us to give opportunities to some of the guys that haven’t got a ton of at-bats without sacrificing production.”
With a big lead for most of the night, the pitching staff did not take their foot off the gas pedal. Gavin Eddy (University of California), Arthur Liu (University of California) and Tyler Valdez closed out the last four frames for OC and did not allow a single SunRays hit or run.
“I thought the pitching was phenomenal tonight,” Spencer said. “I’m proud of those guys, they filled up the zone well and got a lot of swings and misses.”
The bullpen showcased their ceiling against the Sunrays, as they put together potentially their best collective outing of the season.
“It’s really awesome to see the way everyone has come together and the way we trust each other,” Sterner said. “Whenever someone else gets the ball I know they’re going to go out there and do their thing.”
The Riptide will have a day off for the CCL Showcase and will return to action at home on July 18 against the Ventura County Pirates.
