The Santa Barbara Foresters twice came from behind to tie the game against the MLB Academy Barons, but their final rally was not enough to avoid a rare home loss.
Santa Barbara stranded the tying runs on base in the 9th inning in an 8-6 California Collegiate League defeat Wednesday at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
University of Texas pitcher Austin Dicharry tossed a pair of scoreless innings for the Foresters.
The Foresters fell behind early as starter Matt Vedo (UCSB) struggled to get comfortable on the mound. Vedo was visibly frustrated after picking off Barons’ baserunner Arby Fields (Northwestern University) but failed to make the throw in time to get him out. Vedo threw two wild pitches, walked two, and allowed two hits for four earned runs, and was pulled after the first inning.
“We didn’t execute.” Foresters head coach Bill Pintard said emphatically.
Pintard looked to the newly arrived talent from University of Texas to restore stability to the mound. Austin Dicharry relieved Vedo and allowed one hit and no runs in two innings. Kirby Bellow pitched the next two innings and allowed three hits and one run.
Solid hitting allowed the Foresters to climb back in the game. Tyler Pearson (Rice) crushed an RBI triple to right field and Chase Yost (University of San Diego) brought his catcher home with a single. Yost scored after an error by his USD teammate and Barons’ shortstop Julian Duran.
The Barons regained the lead in the next inning off an RBI single by outfielder DJ Wallace (Southern University).
The Foresters tied the game for a second time when new arrival Christian Summers (Texas) drove a solo home run deep into right field.
The stalemate was broken by an eighth-inning run against Foresters’ pitcher Kyle Freidrichs (CSU Long Beach). Freidrichs allowed two consecutive hits before being pulled in favor of Austin Kubitza (Rice). Kubitza committed an error to allow a run. A sacrifice fly from Darrell Hudson (Vanguard) and an RBI single from Fields pushed the Barons’ lead to 8-5.
The Foresters made one final surge in the bottom of the ninth inning when Michael Ratterree (Rice) singled with two outs. Ratterree was brought home on an RBI single by Summers. Joe Wallace (UCSB) got a hold of a pitch, but was unable to push it over the Barons right-fielder and the game ended 8-6.
The Foresters (16-5 overall, 12-5 CCL) travel to Thousand Oaks tomorrow for another league game against the Conejo Oaks.
The Barons (7-16 overall, 7-16 CCL) defeated the CCL’s two top teams on consecutive nights as they beat the San Luis Obispo Blues 10-2 on Tuesday evening.
All Forester games are broadcast on AM 990 KTMS and www.sbforesters.org.
GAME NOTES: The Foresters were without Blake Brown, Shane Kroker, and Nick Melino due to injury… Santa Barbara used seven pitchers during the game… Barons’ starter Josh Lee (CSU San Bernardino) threw 122 pitches in seven innings.
Yost was cut from USD last Fall. Please take note of that. Not fair to USD baseball program.