SAN LUIS OBISPO — The Santa Barbara Foresters evened their California Collegiate League record at 2-2 with a 9-2 comeback victory against the host San Luis Obispo Blues on Friday.
Santa Barbara native Bryce Uhrig got off to a rocky start in his Foresters debut, giving up two runs on four hits in the first inning. Uhrig gave up a triple, a walk and three singles in the frame, but was aided along the way by catcher Jared Womack, who threw out Cory Burleson to complete a strike-em-out-throw-em-out for the first two outs of the inning. Womack ended the inning by making a nice catch of a foul ball near his team’s dugout.
“That strike-em-out-throw-em-out from Womack was just huge. Womack had a great game today,” said manager Bill Pintard. “That kind of got Bryce out of it, and we knew that’s the way Bryce pitches. He’s a slow starter, but he got it going after that.”
Uhrig, who redshirted at UCSB this season after transferring from Pepperdine, did indeed settle in after the first, finishing with six strikeouts through six innings and allowing just one hit after the first frame. Womack, who plays for Oklahoma State, picked up the first of his pair of two-RBI doubles to tie the score in the second inning at 2-2. He also had a single and a stolen base in the game.
“Womack’s good, and he calls a good game too. That’s huge, because it’s like I would have my change-up grip and want to throw a change-up, and that’s what he would call,” said Uhrig. “I had a blast getting back out there, and by the third inning it was like I was back right where I left off.”
Santa Barbara tacked on six more runs in the seventh inning, highlighted by a three-run home run off the bat of Nick Melino. One more run was added in the eighth.
The teams play again at Sinsheimer Stadium at 6 p.m. tonight. All games are broadcast on AM 1490 KIST and www.sbforesters.org.
