WICHITA — All summer long the Santa Barbara Foresters have been coming back from deficits to win ballgames. They did it again on Thursday night, using a huge three-run triple from leading-hitter Jeff McVaney to beat the Haysville (KS) Heat 6-4.
They’ll play a team to be determined on Saturday for the national championship. Since the Foresters are the only unbeaten team remaining, they will have two opportunities (if needed) to win the title.
With the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, Santa Barbara found itself trailing 3-2. McVaney came up and blasted a triple to the fence in right-center field driving in all three of his teammates before scoring himself on a throwing error by the Haysville second baseman.
McVaney, who hit .412 on the regular season, is hitting .428 with two doubles, two triples and 8 RBIs in six tournament games.
“I don’t know what makes him so good, but I just know I’m glad we don’t have to face him,” said relief pitcher TJ McGreevy, who gave up one run in three innings to improve to 3-0 in the tournament and 7-1 on the summer.
James Wharton hit the first home run of the tournament for the Foresters, a solo shot to left field in the second that gave Santa Barbara a 1-0 lead. An RBI sinlge by Jeff McNeil made it 2-0 in the fifth.
Haysville responded with a 3-run sixth. Casey Johnson kicked the inning off with a single and KC Pfister followed with an RBI triple. Mike Moore then hit a fly ball to center that drove in Pfister, and Robbie Rea immediately added a double. One more out led to the end of an otherwise solid outing for starter Austin Dicharry, who lasted five-and-two-thirds innings and gave up three runs on six hits.
Just before McVaney’s triple, Joe Wallace came in on a play at the plate and slid into home to try and score. Heat catcher Scot Palmer made the force out and ended up injured with a probable dislocated hip on the play. Wallace said he did not make significant contact with Palmer, who reportedly told trainers that he caught his foot in the turf.
Out of Santa Barbara’s six tournament wins, four have been come-from-behind victories.
“That game could have gone either way… What an amazing run by this team here,” said manager Bill Pintard. “They really picked a good time to put it all together.”
If Santa Barbara had not won the game, it would have had to face elimination on Friday. Instead, the squad has a day off before trying to win one of two for their third national title in team history.
“It’s huge,” said Pintard of the day off. “We get to sit back. There’s nobody banged up and there will be nobody tender.”
As for confidence, it is not in short supply in the Foresters camp.
“I have no concerns right now… We’re the best team in this tournament,” said the coach.
All games are broadcast on AM 990 and sbforesters.org.
z’all good!!! Go Sters!!!!