Chris Joyce managed to keep things entertaining for the jam-packed crowd at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium on Sunday.
“He pitched outstanding. He’s pitched in three big games — this game, the Fourth of July and the (Rawlings California Cup) championship game. He’s a championship pitcher,” said Santa Barbara Foresters manager Bill Pintard. “You’ve just got to make sure you have plenty of milk in the morning get your belly settled when he pitches, because there’s gonna be ups and downs with him.”
Joyce, a fourth-year-Forester, improved to 5-0 on the season despite loading up the bases in the first and second innings as the hosts salvaged a win in their series finale against the second-place San Luis Obispo Blues, 4-1. The win, which came in front of a crowd of about 500, pushed Santa Barbara’s lead over the Blues in the California Collegiate League up to three games with six to play. The Foresters are attempting to win the conference for the eighth consecutive season.
Austin Kingsolver led off the game with a single, and he was moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt and a ground out. Joyce proceeded to walk the next two batters and load the bases before striking out Mike Kindel to end the threat.
The Foresters (33-9, 23-7) scored all four of their runs in the bottom of the inning, and the first run can be credited directly to third-base coach Casey Cloud. With runners at first and second and one out, the Blues (27-15, 21-11) committed an error that prevented an inning-ending double-play. Instead, the bases were loaded up and Blues catcher Cory Burleson went out to have a chat with pitcher Dylan Mendoza.
Cloud noticed that Burleson never called timeout before heading to the mound, and told Nick Melino to head home from third. He did, and was ruled safe at the plate.
The very same thing had happened to the Foresters in the 2006 NBC World Series Championship Game (which Santa Barbara won), and Cloud said that he has been aware of it ever since.
“The umpire was standing out there watching and he never came out to dust the plate, so that’s how I knew,” said Cloud. “I’ve always kept an eye out for it. Most guys call time, but you just never know.”
Walker Moore then ripped a two-run double to left and James Wharton added an RBI single before the inning was over.
Joyce gave up a walk, single and walk in the second to load ’em up with no outs, but proceeded to strike out the side in order after that.
“I had a little trouble getting guys out to begin with, and I had to get strikeouts. I got ’em when I needed ’em,” said Joyce, who pitches six and two-thirds innings, allowing six hits and one earned run on five walks and nine strikeouts.
The Foresters host the West Coast Rangers in a non-league contest on Monday at 5 p.m.
