By Ryan Greenberg
The Santa Barbara Foresters eased their way to an 8-3 victory over the Arroyo Seco Saints behind a dominant performance from tonight’s pitching staff and home runs from Gianni Horvat, Rylan Galvan, and Greg Pace. The Foresters’ win tonight marked their tenth in a row.
Tonight’s game featured uncharacteristically poor defense from both teams, as both sides recorded three errors each and equally shared a total of four unearned runs allowed. But the Foresters found a way to win thanks to an otherwise flawless performance.
Galvan opened tonight’s scoring with a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning. Later in the same inning, Eamonn Lance scored two on a bases-loaded single, driving in Pace and Daniel Patterson. In that same inning, with runners at first and second, Rocco Garza-Gongora hit a hard ground ball to the Saints first baseman. He threw to the shortstop, forcing Lance out at second, but Garza-Gongora out-hustled the throw back to first to prevent the double-play. Aggressive baserunning from Ryan Black saw him rounding third base and forcing a play at the plate. This forced an error out of the Saints pitcher, who received the ball at first base covering the bag on the failed attempt at a 3-6-1 double play. Black’s run was the Foresters’ fourth and final of the inning.
The Saints pulled one run back immediately in the top of the fourth inning, but the Foresters promptly responded in the bottom frame of that same inning thanks to Gianni Horvat solo home run.
The Foresters scored another three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, first from a solo home run from Pace, his second in as many games. “I’ve kind of been expanding my zone,” Pace responded when asked about his recent surge in power. “Just being on time, staying calm and aggressive.” The Foresters scored another two runs when Max Belyeu’s single drove in Lance and Patterson from second and third, respectively.
The Saints scratched off one more run in both the seventh and eighth inning each, but it was too little, too late as the Foresters comfortably closed out their tenth win in a row.
Ben Bybee started tonight’s contest on the mound for the Foresters, going four innings and allowing no earned runs, which was good enough to get awarded tonight’s win. Carson Turnquist contributed with another two innings of no earned runs, and Jacob Hughes, Chase Hoover, and Blake Pivaroff each pitched an inning as well, with Hoover allowing the only earned run by the Foresters staff. Carter Herrera started tonight’s game on the bump for the Saints, and was charged with the loss.
The Foresters travel to Pasadena tomorrow for the second game of a three game series against the Saints before returning home Sunday for the third and final match of the series. Saturday’s game begins at 6:05pm at Jackie Robinson Field, and Sunday’s at 2:00pm at Pershing Park. All Foresters games can be heard live on 1290 AM radio; listen online or stream live via the Foresters’ website, www.sbforesters.org.
