Irvine, CA – The Orange County Riptide rallied in the eighth inning with a two-run homer to give them a 5-4 lead over the Ventura Pirates Friday night.

The Pirates jumped ahead early in the first inning by driving in two of their runs from three base hits. Starting pitcher Cade Connolly (Santa Clara University) threw the first four innings of the game. While holding the Pirates to only two runs,  Connolly struck out a total of five batters before being subbed out with Jake McBride.

McBride allowed one run to be scored while he was on the mound in the fifth, increasing the Pirate’s lead to three. With bases loaded, McBride was able to escape the inning with a routine fly-out to centerfielder Spencer Serven (UT Rio Grande Valley).

Derek Shaver (Wichita State) was walked to start off the bottom of the fifth inning. He managed to score the first run for the Riptide off a passed ball. Servens reached base safely after ball four was called and Jack-Thomas Wold (UNLV) drove him in with a double to the right field fence.

Mike Schreiber (University of Washington) took the mound to start the top of the sixth inning and only allowed one run to score off a sacrifice-fly. The Riptide offense was quick to respond in the bottom of the sixth.

Austin Kryszczuk (UNLV) reached base safely after getting hit by a pitch and advanced to second by tagging up on Emilio Rosas‘s (USC) fly-out to deep right field. Shaver scored Kryszczuk with his single to center field that brought the Riptide one run shy of a tie.

Emilio Rosas (USC) delivered the clutch at-bat with his two-run homer in the eighth inning.
(Photo credit: Alina Nelson)

In to pitch for the seventh inning was lefty Sam Hasegawa (UC San Diego) who shut out the Pirates while only giving up one hit.  Jake Biederman (Davidson) held the Pirates scoreless while pitching in the top of the eighth and closed out the side with a strikeout.

Kryszczuk reached first after getting pelted by yet another pitch. However, the biggest swing of the game came from Emilio Rosas who crushed the ball over the left field fence for a two-run homerun that gave the Riptide a 5-4 lead.

The right-hander Nikelle Galatas (Jackson State) closed on the mound for the Riptide and was dealing strikes. Galatas struck out three of the Pirates to end the game, giving the Riptide their eighth win of the season.

The Riptide are currently 8-4 overall and play the Arroyo Seco Saints on Jackie Robinson Field at 6:05 P.M. (PST) Saturday evening.

OC Riptide vs. Ventura Pirates June 26, 2021 – Box Score