VENTURA, Calif.—The Orange County Riptide endured a 13-2 loss at the hands of the Conejo Oaks in Ventura Saturday.
After trading blows and each scoring a run through the first 2 ½ innings, the Oaks rallied in the bottom of the third and never looked back.
In the first, Oak centerfielder Owen Meli reached on a one-out single. After an error on a pickoff attempt that allowed him to advance to second, catcher Tyson Reis made it a 1-0 ballgame after doubling to the top of the outfield hill.
In the top of the third, Riptide catcher Cooper Clouser tied the game with timely hitting, driving in Nate Pone from third with a two-out infield single.
The Oaks answered quickly and rallied for six runs in the bottom half of the inning, however, making it a 7-1 ballgame entering the fourth. The barrage came on four hits and four walks, with Conejo bringing 12 batters to the plate.
“We weren’t getting ahead, we were falling behind guys,” head coach Bryan Evans said of the Riptide pitching staff. “I think we gave them (five) freebies (in the third), so that’s not a recipe for success.”
With both teams held quietly in the fourth and fifth, the Oaks tacked on insurance in the sixth. Back-to-back singles to start the inning set up a two-run double from Dylan Jackson, who scored later in the inning on a Matthew Witkow single.
The Riptide bats showed life in the seventh. Right fielder Zach Woodson leadoff the inning with a triple, followed by a textbook sacrifice fly from third baseman Travis Curry to plate the Riptide’s second run.
Five base hits in the bottom of the seventh brought in three more runs for the Oaks, extending their lead to 13-2 and evidently sealing the game.
“There’s days like this, but we’re going to flush it,” Evans said. “We’re going to get back after it tomorrow, compete and try to get even on the week.”
The Riptide return home to face the Philippines at Great Park tomorrow, June 28.
First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m.
