After a midweek off day following a Tuesday loss to the Conejo Oaks, the Santa Barbara Foresters fell to the Santa Paula Halos 6-3 Thursday evening in Santa Paula.
Down 6-3 in the top of the ninth, the Foresters loaded the bases with one out. Colt Atwood was hit by a pitch, Austin Darby singled and Tyler Krieger walked to fill the bases before Garrett Mattlage struck out. The last chance for the Foresters came up empty as Jerry McClanahan popped up to the right fielder.
Austen Williams started his third game of the year for the Foresters, his second in Santa Paula against the Halos, with less success than the first time around.
The Foresters infield struggled behind Williams in the first inning, committing two errors to contribute to a pair of runs in the first inning. The Texas State righty gave up another in the third, as a one-out double for Halo first baseman Jordan Brower came around to score after advancing on a fly ball and scoring on a weak hit that stayed fair rolling down the third base line. He finished with four innings pitched and five runs allowed while striking out two.
Halo starter Kevin Torres, a lefty from UNLV, stalled any offensive production the Foresters could muster in his six innings. Through his first three innings, the lefty struck out five and finished with eight.
Santa Barbara finally put two men on base in the fifth inning, however it came with two men out and Steven Reveles struck out looking. In the sixth inning, the Foresters finally pushed two across the plate against Torres. McClanahan drove the first run of the game with a two-out single to score Keaton Jones and came home after an error by Halo shortstop John Brontsema.
In the eighth, the Foresters scrapped together another rally as Mattlage singled and McClanahan reached after being hit. Ben Johnson singled in a run with two outs, but the rally ended after Hunter Kopycinski flew out to right.
