It was a perfect way to start the 2010 season for the Santa Barbara Foresters, who held the visiting San Diego Waves to just two hits in a 9-1 victory at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
Goleta’s own Chris Joyce, in his fourth season with the team, looked invincible for much of his outing as the opening-day starter, finishing with eight strikeouts while allowing the Waves’ only two hits. He struck out the side in order in the third, and during one stretch struck out seven of nine batters faced. He worked with impressive quickness during the stretch.
“I definitely don’t pitch as well when I’m out of that rhythm. I felt really good for awhile there. I’m just honored to be the opening-day starter for the ‘Sters,” said Joyce, a Dos Pueblos graduate who had a stellar campaign at Central Arizona College this season, going 11-2 and striking out 88 batters in 85 innings.
Joyce, along with many other Foresters, is eligible for next week’s draft.
Third-year Forester Matt Valaika helped blow the game open in the fourth, cranking a 3-run triple into right field, scoring Patric Tolentino, Shane Kroker and Chase Yost.
Yost, a Santa Ynez native who now plays for SBCC, went 2-for-4 with a single, double and two runs scored. Tolentino, a second-year Foresters catcher from the University of Nebraska, had the exact same line offensively.
Coming in to relieve Joyce in the seventh was third-year Forester Vinnie St. John, who is making the transition from right field to pitcher. The righty was throwing hard, and overcame some control issues to pitch two scoreless innings, recording a strikeout and a walk. Cal State Los Angeles hurler Matt Stropoli came in and pitched a scoreless ninth as the Forester defense ended the game with a 6-4-3 double play.
“I’m really happy with 13 hits on nine runs. Joyce pitched well, and we had a couple of two-out hist for RBIs,” said manager Bill Pintard, who said it’s nice to get the first game out of the way. He and his staff continue to deal with different players flying in and all of the other organizational headaches that come with the beginning of the season.
He also said he was nervous as always on opening day.
“Somebody asked me if I was nervous, and I told them that if I wasn’t nervous I should probably quit coaching. It’s your opening day and you want to do well and also make sure the fans had a good experience. They did so I’m happy,” he said.
The team will hit the reset button as they take on the Waves once again at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. All games are broadcast on AM 1490 KIST and www.sbforesters.org.
