IRVINE, Calif. – A five-run fifth inning and patient at-bats lifted the Orange County Riptide to a 12-3 victory over the Philippines Baseball Group on Wednesday at Great Park.
Right-handed pitcher Austin Plisinski, who made his Riptide debut in the top of the third, ran into trouble early, loading the bases with no outs. After what appeared to be a 6-4-3 double play turned by Orange County, the umpire crew came together and ruled a dead ball interference, which ruled Braden Sellz out and eliminated the double play.
“The runner at second base went to third and put his hand out like he was pretending to field a ground ball, which you cannot do; that’s interference,” Riptide head coach Bryan Evans said.
After the call, Plisinski struck out the next two batters to retire the side.
“It started out a little rough,” head coach Evans said. “It’s his first outing out here, so I’m sure the nerves were getting to him a little bit, but he settled himself down and started throwing strikes and getting outs and exactly what we wanted him to do.”
Leading 1-0, Orange County’s offense carried the momentum over in the second. Second baseman Travis Curry drove in catcher Noah Neufeld for one of the two runs, making the game 3-0.
The following inning, the Riptide put four more runs on the board, all started by an RBI double by first baseman Alonso Reyes.
“It was slower pitching, so I was just trying to see spin,” Reyes said. “I haven’t played in a little bit. I don’t like staying away from the game for too long.”
The bats for the Riptide remained hot in the bottom of the fifth, where they scored five runs capped off with an RBI single from Neufeld, which would be the final run of the game for Orange County.
The Riptide improve to 16-7 on the season and will head out on the road and play the Conejo Oaks on Thursday, July 2nd.
First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
