SANTA MARIA — The Santa Barbara Foresters are back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back California Collegiate League Champions, clinching their seventh straight title on Friday night at Elks Field with an 8-1 win over the Santa Maria Packers.
“There’s a strong sense of accomplishment because this is really difficult to do,” said manager Bill Pintard. “Everybody’s aiming for us all the time, wherever we go. Everybody wants a piece of us, but we relish that challenge.
“Our guys wanted to win more than their guys, and you could see that.”
James Meador hit a 3-run blast in the top of the first inning and finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs to lead the offense, while A.J. Griffin (Meador’s roommate at the University of San Diego for the past three years) turned in another sparkling start to improve to 6-0 on the year.
The eccentric ace was singing along to opera music blasting through his iPod before the game, and it was another sweet song once he stepped on the mound. Griffin pitched seven innings, allowing three hits and a run while striking out seven and walking none.
“I’ve seen a lot of quirky pitchers, but when A.J. goes between the lines he is locked in. He’s a pleasure to watch pitch because he attacks the zone,” said Pintard.
David Harris also hit one out of the park, sending a solo shot to left field in the top of the eighth. He also had three walks and crossed home plate thrice. Jeremy Rathjen had two singles and a pair of stolen bases and Davis Duren added a double, a single, a run and an RBI.
Griffin gave way to Chris Joyce in the eighth, and the local boy was dominant over the final two innings, retiring all six batters he faced while striking out three.
“My arm slot and my control were back to where they were in previous seasons, so it felt really good,” said Joyce, who is in his third year with the team.
The National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita is on tap in just over a week, but the Foresters still have eight regular season games to go before the long bus ride to Kansas, where they will try to defend their national championship. Complacency is not an issue, according to Pintard.
“A lot of these guys are still competing amongst each other for starting spots and playing time… And we don’t like to lose,” he said.
There was no celebration to speak of at Elks Field on Friday night, and Joyce had a perfect explanation as to why:
“We save our dogpile for Wichita.”
The Foresters (31-9-1, 15-4) host the Packers (22-18-1, 7-12) at 5 p.m. on Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday. All games are broadcast on AM 1490 KIST and www.sbforesters.org.
