IRVINE, Calif. – The Orange County Riptide edged out the San Diego Bombers 4-3 in a nail-biter that ended in a walk-off Saturday night at the Great Park.
Starting pitcher Jake Covey (Concordia University Irvine) threw four scoreless innings and struck out the side in the top of the second inning.
The first run of the game came in the form of a Bombers RBI single in the top of the fifth inning. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Carter Danz (Northwestern University) got the Riptide on the board and tied the game with an RBI triple that scored Bradley Navarro (University of Utah). The Bombers put up two runs in the top of the eighth inning, both unearned, to give them a 3-1 lead.
Riptide pitchers Sean Cannon (Saint Mary’s College of California), Jake Spence (San Francisco State University), and Noah Smith (California Baptist University) were all called in in relief before pitcher Zach Ireland (University of California, Davis) entered the game in the top of the ninth inning. Out of four batters faced, Ireland allowed one Bombers batter to reach base via a hit by pitch. The Bombers were unable to capitalize on the opportunity to bring their runner home and put up a zero in the top of the ninth inning.
“Not allowing them to score that run in the ninth inning gave us a little bit of momentum,” Head Coach Bryan Evans said. ”Pitchers kept us in that game.”
Following a four-pitch walk to Isaac Cadena (University of Southern California) to start the bottom of the ninth inning, Danz homered to right field to once again tie the game, this time at three apiece.
“When I come up to bat,…all I want to do is help out the team any way I can, and I’m glad I did that today,” Danz said.
Carter Danz (Northwestern) and Camden Burdick (Cal State Fullerton) celebrate after delivering a two-run home run and an RBI single, respectively, to win the game in the bottom of the ninth.
(Photo courtesy of Dominic Madonia)
Luke Johnson (Cornell University) then singled to center field before advancing to second on a wild pitch and then advancing to third on a fly out from Zach Crandall (University of California, Irvine).
To follow, Reid Montgomery (California State University, Long Beach) and Camden Sos (Santa Clara University) were both intentionally walked, which loaded the bases for Camden Burdick (California State University, Fullerton), who was hitless up until that point. Burdick came up big for the Riptide with an RBI single into the gap in left-center field that scored Johnson and won the game.
“I had a rough few at-bats before, I was just looking to get something over the middle,” Burdick said. “No open base, so I knew he had to come at me and give me some pitches to hit. I fouled a couple off, and then just got one in the wheelhouse.”
According to Evans, Saturday’s game was a demonstration of this Riptide team’s ability to compete.
“I’ve preached from day one, ‘Give me everything you’ve got for nine innings; fight, fight, fight…until the very end,’ and I think we’ve done a great job of that this year,” Evans said. “With our offense now, I don’t think we’re ever out of a ball game, so as long as we keep grinding it out, good things happen as you can see from tonight.”
The Riptide will take on their next opponent, the MLB Academy Barons, at home Sunday, July 13 at 5:30 p.m.
