Fairbanks, AK – Following Sunday’s 13-3 thrashing of the San Diego Waves the Orange County Riptide, whose offense averages ten runs per game, defeated Bercovich Collegiate by mercy rule 12-1 on Monday night in five innings. It wasn’t much of a contest for the whole night with the Riptide scoring in all five innings of their second straight run-rule victory and fourth game with double-digit runs of the 2021 season.
Monday’s game was the sixth game of the team’s road trip to Alaska, which has lasted five days. The Riptide will sport a 4-2 record and go into the final Alaska trip game against the Alaska Goldpanners on Tuesday claiming a three-game win streak.
UNLV’s trio of Eric Bigani, Austin Kryszczuk, and Edarian Williams went a combined 6-for-8 at the plate with seven RBIs and four runs scored. Jack-Thomas Wold of UNLV also went 1-for-3 to add onto the Rebel product hit total.
The first team to do damage was Bercovich off of Riptide starting hurler Spencer Edwards out of Cornell by way of an RBI single in the top of the first to take an early one-run lead. He rebounded with two punchouts in a scoreless second inning thereafter. Monday night was Edwards‘ third appearance of the season after he threw a scoreless inning on opening day and 1.2 innings in the 12-10 loss to the Goldpanners on June 11th.
Spencer Edwards (#36, Cornell) allowed one hit and one run in five complete innings.
(Photo Credit: Alina Nelson)
The Riptide came back and threatened to score by loading the bases with two outs for UNLV’s Edarian Williams, who entered Monday hot offensively with a .455 average in three games played this season. He came through with the third Riptide hit of the inning to plate two men and grab a 2-1 lead.
The offense threatened again an inning later with men on second and third for the three-hold hitter Austin Kryszczuk (UNLV). He was able to bring home Spencer Serven (UTRGV) and Davis Diaz (Vanderbilt) with a two-run triple on an 0-2 count with two outs.
Meanwhile, Edwards rolled through four straight innings without allowing another run. He ultimately was the only Riptide pitcher in the run-rule win, going five full innings and allowing one run and just one hit while punching out four.
Orange County went on to score eight more over the next three innings with RBIs from USC’s Emilio Rosas, Kolton Freeman (Dartmouth), Reed Spenrath (TCU), and others to complete the 12-1 run-rule victory, and extend the Riptide win streak to three straight.
The Riptide (4-2) will look to make it four straight wins on Tuesday in the last game from Alaska at Growden Park against the Goldpanners with first pitch slated for 9 p.m. PST.
The Riptide will then fly back to California to play at least six of their next seven at OC Great Park beginning on Thursday at 6 p.m. PST versus the So Cal Shepherds.
OC Riptide vs. Bercovich Collegiate June 14, 2021 – Box Score
