After nine runs on 13 hits in Friday’s opener, the Santa Barbara Foresters one-upped themselves on Saturday with 10 runs on 15 hits in a shutout win over the San Diego Waves at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
Jon Abramson, who found out just before the game that he would get the start for Santa Barbara, took a no-hitter into the seventh as San Diego mustered just a pair of hits for the second straight game.
“I think I was just able to keep them off balance pretty well,” said the University of San Francisco hurler. “My cutter was working well for me, and I had four pitches for strikes today.”
Manager Bill Pintard had never even seen Abramson throw before.
“He doesn’t throw hard and he doesn’t throw straight. Everything was crooked, and he did a great job with it,” said Pintard. “He throws a breaking ball that loops in there for a strike to get ahead in the count, and then he throws in a fastball. I also thought [catcher Jared] Womack called a great game.”
Womack showed some serious guts on the basepaths, converting an impressive first-to-third attempt in the sixth. He hit a one-out single, and James Wharton followed with a base knock to left field. Playing left field was San Diego’s starting pitcher from Friday, Michael Renner. Wharton’s hit was a routine single that Renner kept in front of him, but Womack surprised him by rounding second and beating the throw in to third.
It was one of five first-to-thirds on the day for the Foresters, who also had four two-out hits.
“That was all him — and that’s our catcher, running on their left-fielder who’s a pitcher. That is awesome, and it sets a tone. That guy’s a leader,” said Pintard. “It sets the tone for saying ‘We’re running in your face.'”
The Foresters (2-0) stole 136 bases in 55 games last season, and while Nick Melino has the only two steals this season, the team’s philosophy of uber-aggressive running is already showing itself. Pintard said that many college coaches don’t encourage such running, especially with metal bats increasing the chances of getting doubled off base.
“When you’ve got wild horses and you try to put them in a corral they’re not gonna get faster. If you’ve got wild horses you’ve gotta let ’em run, and they like it. They want to run,” he said. “I think the right way to play the game is to push the envelope, and that’s why we play fast-break baseball.”
Graham Saiko led the offensive effort with two doubles and a single, driving in three runs. Shortstop Shane Kroker was 2-for-4 with a a pair of runs batted in , and Wharton collected three singles on the day.
Santa Barbara looks to close out a series sweep on Sunday, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. All games are broadcast on AM 1490 and www.sbforesters.org.
