Irvine, Calif. – The Academy Barons defeated the Orange County Riptide 6-2 on Friday night. A three run first inning was the difference maker in a game where the offense couldn’t gain momentum.
Pitching Limits the Damage
Despite the Barons having rallies in two innings, Riptide pitchers delivered another solid performance. Ben Jacobs (Undecided) threw two innings, striking out four of the seven batters he faced. Originally scheduled for only one inning, Jacobs’ dominant performance earned him the opportunity to pitch the ninth inning.
“There were some quality innings all around tonight, but it was the two innings that killed us,” head coach Connor Spencer said. “Two three spots that we didn’t do a good job at minimizing the damage.”
Cold Bats
(Photo credit: Alyssa Gervacio)
The Riptide struggled on offense against the Barons, as they collectively struck out 15 times. They were unable to generate significant scoring opportunities due to the exceptional performance of the Barons’ pitching staff. Leading to a frustrating night for the Riptide managing only three hits.
“I have to give credit to their pitchers, they did a really good job of exposing the zone and hitting their spots,” Spencer said. “They kept our hitters on their heels. We struck out eight of our first nine at bats.”
The Riptide made offensive adjustments, but weren’t quick enough and struggled to get hits when they needed to. Patrick Hackworth (UC San Diego) led the team with two hits and scored on an RBI double by Ayden Garcia (Golden West College).
“It’s one of those we really have to flush and get rid of,” Spencer said. “We can come back tomorrow and try to put together a better performance. That’s the beauty of baseball.”
The OC Riptide will take on the Academy Barons again at the MLB Youth Academy. First pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. pacific time.
Academy Barons vs. OC Riptide – Box