SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A six-run sixth inning proved to be the difference as the Orange County Riptide fell 11-3 to the Santa Barbara Foresters on Sunday at Santa Barbara High School.
In the sixth frame with two outs, the bats came alive at the right time for the Foresters. Right fielder Donovan LaSalle started the rally with an RBI single to left, and it was capped off by a two-RBI single from shortstop Chris Newstrom, which gave Santa Barbara an 8-3 lead going into the top of the seventh.
“They were aggressive at the plate, and they got their pitch and didn’t miss,” Riptide head coach Bryan Evans said. “They’re a good hitting team, and we know that.”
To open the scoring, Santa Barbara made a statement. Left fielder Cole Chamberlain clobbered a ball over the right-field wall, giving the Foresters an early 1-0 lead.
It didn’t take long for Santa Barbara to get back on the board. In the bottom of the fourth, center fielder Brady Janusek, on the first pitch he saw, hammered a ball deep to center for a triple, and then first baseman Joshua Woodworth followed with a sac fly to bring the runner in, extending their lead to two.
The momentum the Foresters had flipped over to Riptide in the top of the fifth. Right fielder Jarret Sabol singled sharply into right, sending home catcher Nathaniel Pone and designated hitter Trajan Rogowski. Third baseman Alonso Reyes then followed with a base knock to center, driving in Sabol, which put the team out in front 3-2.
“The energy was high,” Reyes said. “We got the leadoff man on, so that helped a lot. I think we had one guy before me go down, but after that we just kept going.”
After the sixth inning, Santa Barbara would not lift their foot off the gas pedal, scoring three more runs to seal an 11-3 final.
The Riptide, now 20-11, will remain on the road and play the Conejo Oaks on Tuesday, July 14th.
First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
