ORANGE — Execution and late offense turned an early pitchers’ duel into a comfortable win for the Santa Barbara Foresters, who won their second game in as many days at Hart Park against the Orange County Pioneers, 6-3. The win put the 8-time defending California Collegiate League champions back in first place by a half-game.
Derek Legg had two hits and two RBIs to go along with two runs and a stolen base, while Ian McCarthy pitched three no-hit innings of relief to improve his record to 4-0 on the year.
“I just wanted to come in and pound the strike zone, and it didn’t hurt that we got five runs in the seventh and eighth innings,” said the Oklahoma State righty, who went to Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana and grew up just minutes away from Hart Park.
The University of Houston’s Codey Morehouse, who had been coming out of the bullpen all season, got his first start and pitched five innings, striking out three while giving up just three hits and allowing two runs.
“We executed on all of our sacrifices but one, which was awesome. We played really well today,” said manager Bill Pintard.
James Wharton drove in the first run of the game on a ground ball that brought in Legg to make it 1-0 Santa Barbara in the fourth. Pioneers starter Jordan Mejia had pitched three innings of one-hit ball up until that point. Orange County put up two runs in the bottom half of the inning, but the Foresters scored on RBIs by Richard Stock and Christian Summers in the seventh to make it 4-2. Stock, a catcher bound for the University of Nebraska, finished with two hits and an RBI.
Blake Brown drove in a run and Lance Roenicke hit a two-out, two-run triple in the eighth for good measure.
The Foresters (18-6, 14-6 CCL) host the Pioneers (11-10) at 1 p.m. Sunday to close out the three game series, with the game being broadcast live on AM 990 and www.sbforesters.org.
Santa Barbara has 16 players headed to the July 16th CCL All-Star Game in Glendale, which will be televised live on Fox Sports West at 6 p.m. To view the complete All-Star roster, click here.
