You’ve got a big hill to climb if you’re down 4-0 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Santa Barbara Foresters ran up that hill and then some on Thursday, exploding for seven runs in the eighth inning to beat the visiting Urban Academy Barons 7-4 and take the 3-game series.
“This is a signature win because it’s the first time we’ve come back from a deficit after the seventh inning and won,” said manager Bill Pintard. “We just stayed with it, stayed with it, stayed with it.”
While the offensive outburst in the eighth was the highlight of the game, Pintard said that Matt Evers’ two shutout innings of relief in the seventh and eighth innings were the key.
“He came in and shut them down, which gave us the chance to come back,” he said.
And come back they did.
Patric Tolentino had come up with the bases loaded and the Foresters (31-10, 14-4 CCL) down 2-0 in the fifth, only to hit a line-drive comebacker to Barons starter Geoff Broussard that ended as a double-up double play as Andy Workman was already on his way to second. Tolentino, a stellar catcher, was also having a rough day staying in front of off-target pitches.
The soon-to-be Nebraska Cornhusker made up for it with two base knocks in the eighth. He led off the inning by knocking a line drive into the outfield which prompted the Barons to take out Broussard, who was solid all day and gave up just four hits.
Vincenzo St. John followed with a walk off of reliever Joe Spizzirri, and Drew Maggi’s ensuing single knocked in Tolentino from second. Brandon Loy then walked and team captain Ryan Goetz followed with a single that brought home St. John and Maggi to cut the Academy lead to 4-3. Spizzirri, a highly touted pitcher from pitcher from Notre Dame, was pulled for Brian Foster
James Wharton hit a pop-up to left field that was deep enough to get Loy in from third on the tag-up to tie the game, and James Meador was then hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Andy Workman, who had a triple and a single on the day, drew a walk to load the bases, and David Harris followed with a walk that put the Foresters ahead 5-4.
Tolentino then cranked his second single of the inning to drive in the final two runs, and Matt Hutchison came on to pitch the ninth and pick up his fifth save of the season.
“Our guys stayed patient and we weren’t free swinging. I really liked our approach, and (hitting coach Gary) Woods had them locked in,” said Pintard. “Tolentino had a heck of an inning, too.”
John Lambert got the start for the hosts, giving up five hits and two runs with six strikeouts in five innings of work. As always, his back pockets were filled with an interesting array of items: a pack of Scooby-Doo fruit snacks, a crumpled paper cup, some receipts, a napkin and a handful of change.
The Foresters are on the verge of clinching their seventh consecutive California Collegiate League title, and they hit the road Friday to take on the Santa Maria Packers with first pitch set for 6 p.m. All games are broadcast on AM 1490 KIST and www.sbforesters.org.
