Despite banging out ten hits and receiving a quality start from left-hander Sam Spangler, the Santa Barbara Foresters fell 5-2 against the Conejo Oaks on Sunday in a semifinal match of the 2009 Rawlings California Cup Summer Baseball Tournament.
Story by Matt Connolly
Playing host to the tournament on their home turf in Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, the Foresters had high hopes of running through the competition. The team would instead run into a dangerous Oaks defense that gunned out three Forester base runners at home plate.
“I was expecting to win this game and play the Santa Maria Packers [in the championship game], but have to tip your hats to Conejo,” head coach Bill Pintard said. “They hit their cutoffs and threw out guys out time and time again.”
After tallying single runs in the first and second innings, Santa Barbara would try to keep the momentum going by executing a double steal of second and home. Right fielder James Meador slid into second safely, but third baseman Ryan Goetz was beat by the throw in a race to home.
The Foresters’ fortunes continued to fade in the fifth, as left fielder Andy Workman was thrown out at the dish trying to score on a grounder off the bat of designated hitter David Harris. After Meador drew a walk to load the bases, first baseman Abe Ruiz would fly out weakly to end the threat with runner on base – a popular trend in a very frustrating game.
“We left a lot of runners on base,” Goetz said. “We had our opportunities, but we just couldn’t cash them in.”
The missed opportunities would culminate with a play in the bottom of the seventh when second baseman Drew Maggi was thrown out trying to score on one of Goetz’ three hits of the game. Though the umpire’s call at the plate was not well received by Pintard and all the Forester fans in attendance, Santa Barbara could do nothing as they watched another zero go up on the board.
“I think Maggi being thrown out at the play at the plate was the defining moment,” Pintard said.
After Conejo plated three runs – all unearned – in the top of the ninth to take the lead, the Oaks gave the Foresters a final opportunity in the bottom of the frame by allowing Maggi on with a booted ball on the infield. However, Goetz failed to record his fourth hit of the game and grounded out to send Conejo to the finals.
Though the Rawlings Cup shortcoming puts a serious dent in the Forester’s 2009 campaign, the team is confident that they will bounce back following the California Collegiate League All-Star game, to be held tomorrow in Compton.
“We take the loss with a grain of salt,” Goetz said. All we have to do is come back after the All-Star game and keep swinging.”
