Photo by Vic Neumann
By Patrick Hunter
If you have been to Pershing Park this summer to catch a Foresters game, I can guarantee you saw them come away with a win. After dismantling the Santa Maria Packers 9-0 on Friday night, Santa Barbara pushed their league-leading record to 19-1, including a perfect 11-0 at their home park. In a game that consisted mostly of a pitcher’s duel, the ’Sters erupted for eight of their nine runs in the bottom of the fifth, as the Packers couldn’t seem to catch a break.
Jackson Wolf made his second career start as a ’Ster, and just like his first appearance, he blew through the Packers’ lineup with a variety of offspeed pitches with unbelievable movement. Wolf pitched six strong shutout innings, striking out 10 in the process. Santa Barbara used their fewest amount of pitchers all season with just two, as Miles Sandum cleaned up for Wolf, shutting out the Packers through the final three innings.
Wolf was met with a solid performance from Santa Maria’s starting pitcher, Daxton Miller. Miller breezed through 4 2/3 while making it look easy, but seemed to run out of gas when allowing the huge fifth inning to the ’Sters.
Forester pitching, as usual, put the team in a great position to win by the later innings. And when the ’Sters have a window, they usually strike.
The wild fifth inning was kicked off by third baseman Michael Neustifter’s hard hit single to score Santa Barbara newcomer Cody Masters. Shortly after, Logan Allen, who has been on a tear as of late, scored Neustifter with a hard hit single down the left field line. After an error and several base knocks, the ’Sters found themselves leading 6-0. Neustifter stepped up for his second at-bat of the inning, and almost capped off the inning with a three-run homer. The ball bounced off the left-center field wall, scoring two more and giving the hard hitting infielder an easy double.
The ’Sters built a comfortable 8-0 lead in one inning, and after Allen hit another run in during the eight, Santa Barbara was able to cruise to their 19th victory over the season, taking down the Santa Maria Packers, 9-0.
Catch the ’Sters in action on Saturday, June 30, where they will play a big game against the second-place OC Riptide.
’Ster it Up!
