Fireworks Come a Day Late: ’Sters Win 11-4

BOX SCORE

By Jim Buckley; photo by Will Huebner

San Luis Blues fans chant “Hot Sauce” when opposing players are about to strike out. Apparently, fans earn bottles of the stuff for such events. On Tuesday night, the only hot sauce was what Foresters hitters were serving. The titanic twosome of Griffin Everitt and Tanner O’Tremba, batting 5-6 in the order, combined to go six-for-eight with six runs scored and three RBI. Hunter Ensley followed that pair with four RBI. In all, the Foresters had six hitters with multiple hits and a total of seven extra-base knocks on the night. It all added up to a dominating 11-4 victory for the Foresters. 

The Foresters scored in six of their eight at-bats, and several of the runs scored with two outs. It was the kind of offensive explosion Foresters fans have been waiting for. 

After the Blues homered in the first to open the scoring, Santa Barbara wasted no time putting the scoreboard in their favor. After O’Tremba walked, Everitt, who ended the day with four hits, drove him in with a double. Hunter Ensley started his RBI binge with a single to put the Sters on top. 

The Blues bounced back with a string of doubles that turned into three runs in the inning for the home team, as San Luis retook the lead.

But the Foresters offense continued to hit on all cylinders and soon put the game on ice. In the third, Everitt struck again. With Gavin Kash and O’Tremba on base, he doubled again to pad the Foresters lead. They made it 6-4 in the fourth inning, when Kevin Bazzell’s well-timed groundout brought home Rylan Charles, who had reached after being hit by a pitch.

In the fifth, O’Tremba matched Everitt with a double of his own. When Everitt got his third hit of the game, O’Tremba tried to score, but was cut down at home plate. Nate Rombach followed with his own single, and this time it was deep enough to score Everitt, and the Foresters led 7-4 heading into the bottom of the fifth.

Meanwhile, Foresters starter Brandon Beckel was a bit choppy, allowing four runs and five hits in his nearly five innings of work. But as usual, the Foresters bullpen had his back. After Beckel loaded the bases, Cole Reeves came in with two outs and struck out a Blues hitter to save the day. In the sixth, Reeves let two men on and then K’d his way out of trouble again. 

Everitt continued his hot night with a single in the seventh to drive in O’Tremba, who had tripled to open the inning. Bazzell got his second RBI of the night in the eighth to bring in Miguel Santos, who had tripled for his third hit of the night. After the Blues finally got O’Tremba and Everitt out, Ensley followed their example, doubling in Bazzell and Gavin Kash, who had walked. The Foresters continue this incredible string of 13 games in 13 days with game number 9 in the string vs the OC Riptide down south in Great Park. Tune in to AM 1290 and FM 96.9 for all the action; thanks as alw