The Foresters’ offensive juggernaut rolls on. For the third straight game—and fifth in the last seven—the Sters reached double digits in runs, crushing the South Bay Saints 16-4 in the second game of pool play in the 2015 Rawlings California Cup.
As in the first game, the team hit for the cycle and had a player with five RBI—shortstop Bret Boswell, who knocked in five with a pair of doubles. Not bad for a player who only entered the game in the seventh inning. Rightfielder Granger Studdard continued his hot hitting, racking up five hits in six trips, including his second homer of the season. But the big blow was Jeremy Montalbano’s team-leading fourth dinger, a three-run shot in the fifth that put the Sters ahead to stay. “Monty” also knocked in a run with a sixth-inning single.
Every Foresters starter had at least one hit or scored a run, with David Greer and John Brontsema scoring three apiece. Brontsema and shortstop John Holland also had three RBI each.
On the mound, Gary Cornish (pictured from an earlier start) was outstanding—except for one pitch, which South Bay’s Kyle Moore hit for a three-run homer to pull the Saints within one in the fourth. Otherwise, Cornish scattered seven other hits in six innings for his team-leading fifth win of the season in six decisions. Tyler Cohen struck out two in an inning of relief, followed by a scoreless frame by Cal Becker in his Foresters debut. Dalton Brown struck out the side in the ninth to wrap things up.
The Foresters also turned three double plays behind Cornish while going their second straight game without an error.
Santa Barbara takes on the Conejo Oaks in a game that will help determine the South Bracket winner in the California Cup. If the Foresters win, they will earn a berth in Sunday’s championship game. The Oaks are the defending champs, though, and won’t go away easily. Join the Foresters to celebrate the Fourth of July on Bank of Santa Barbara Day starting at 4 pm at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.—Jim Buckley
