The Riptide consists of: Mason Boelter, Jack Deardorff, Miles Enos, John Givans, Trevor Garcia, Jackson Hamilton, Tommy Holguin, Zach Jensen, Jaden LyBurtus, Noah Martinez, Chase Mayer, Cooper Owens, Dominic Roderick, Bryan Rivera, Toby Spach and Vince Vogel. The team is managed by John Jensen and Coaches Tommy Holguin and Joe Holguin.
The Santa Barbara Riptide Baseball Club rebounded from a first game loss to win the 2014 Martin Luther King USSSA Championship last weekend in Camarillo, Ca.
Dominating pitching and timely hitting were the key to the Riptide’s success allowing only 5 total runs in 5 games and outscoring their opponents 50 – 5 in the five games.
Game 1 turned out to be an incredible pitching duel with the Riptide going with their ace Tommy Holguin. Holguin pitched 3 scoreless innings allowing only 1 hit before being relieved by Jackson Hamilton. Hamilton pitched 4 strong innings striking out 7 and allowing 2 hits and 1 earned run. The Conejo Rattlers countered with their ace who went the distance shutting out the Riptide.
In the second game the Riptide met the SoCal Aces and their bats came alive scoring 17 runs on 13 hits. Zach Jensen, Mason Boelter, Trevor Garcia and Jaden LyBurtus all had two hits apiece and drove in a combined 8 runs to lead the offensive attack. Trevor Garcia pitched two strong innings striking out 5 and allowing 1 hit. Vince Vogel pitched the last two frames striking out 3 without allowing a hit.
Monday started the single elimination round and the Riptide wasted little time jumping out to a 5-0 lead through two innings of play. Chase Mayer took the mound for the Riptide and pitched two innings allowing 1 hit and striking out 4. Miles Enos pitched the last two striking out 2 without allowing a hit. Toby Spach, Tommy Holguin and Trevor Garcia each had a pair of hits. Zach Jensen, Jaden LyBurtus, Chase Mayer, Dominic Roderick and Jackson Hamilton all added hits of their own.
In the Semi-Finals the Riptide drew a matchup with the San Gabriel Valley Cougars. 8 of the 11 Riptide hitters got at least 1 hit led by Spach who went 3-4 with 3 RBI’s. LyBurtus and Mayer each added 3 RBI’s of their own. LyBurtus and Vogel combined to pitch 5 innings scattering 4 hits and striking out 6 without allowing an earned run.
The win set the stage for a rematch with the Conejo Rattlers for the tournament championship. The Riptide’s pitching and hitting were too much for the Rattlers to handle who never posed a threat. Santa Barbara banged out 11 hits 6 of which were doubles by Jensen, Boelter, Roderick, Hamilton and LyBurtus who had 2. Tommy Holguin was dominating on the mound going 5 complete innings striking out 8 without allowing an earned run. Garcia came on in relief pitching two innings giving up 1 hit and striking out 3.
