Brett Vertigan continues to prove he can do it all at the leadoff spot for the Santa Barbara Foresters.
Forester Brett Vertigan watches his home run clear the fence (Vince Agapito photo).
The outfielder from UCSB had two singles and a game-tying solo homer in the eighth as Santa Barbara rallied from a 2-0 deficit for the second straight day to beat the Academy Barons 3-2 if the first game of the Rawlings California Cup Tournament at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, KS, next month.
Vertigan is now hitting .378 with three homers, 11 stolen bases and 13 RBI in 23 games played. He had two of Santa Barbara’s four hits against Barons ace Patrick Smith, who allowed one run in six and two-thirds innings with six strikeouts.
“He’s a real good one… Vertigan’s everything that we thought he would be,” said manager Bill Pintard of the former Academy Baron, who sat out the year at UCSB after hernia surgery.
Albert Minnis turned in a solid start and Wichita State teammate TJ McGreevy came on to pitch three perfect innings of relief and improve to 4-0 on the year. It was his second straight relief outing with three perfect innings. Austin Kubitza picked up the save.
“I just try to get on top and throw a bunch of strikes. I try not to strike them out, and I just let my defense do the work for me,” said McGreevy, who drew high praise from his coach.
“He is blue-collar, take your work to lunch in a lunch pail,” said Pintard.
Minnis gave up two runs on three hits in the first but settled down from there and gave up no more hits, striking out five in five innings. Santa Barbara’s leading hitter Jeff McVaney (.389 average) drove in the winning run on a double that scored Jeff McNeil after Vertigan’s home run. Hugo Hernandez and DJ Wallace drove in Academy’s runs in the first inning.
The Foresters play the Santa Barbara Stars — a local 21-and-over club team — on Friday at 4 p.m. as tournament action continues. The game will be broadcast on tape-delay at 6 p.m. on AM 990 and www.sbforesters.org.
