Opening day proved to be an uphill battle for the Santa Barbara Foresters against the San Diego Waves, but managed to capture the win 8-4. The come from behind win on opening day, sponsored by Montecito Bank and Trust, moved the Foresters to 1-0 on the season.
Santa Barbara tied the game at four in the fifth inning after a pair of walks put men on second and third. Forester first baseman Shane Crawford doubled both in with two outs off of Waves pitcher Kirby Cantelmesa. Cantelmesa, who had entered in the fifth, struggled with his control as he walked three in the inning.
The Waves sloppy play continued in the sixth, as a trio of walks and a pair of errors resulted in two runs for the Foresters to give them a 6-4 lead. Another two runs run were added, one in the seventh thanks to a Tyler Cohen double with a man on and one in the eighth a single by Shane Rowland.
Pitcher Patrick Weigel pitched five scoreless innings for the Foresters to score the win. Weigel struck out four while allowing three hits and walking none.
Forester starting pitcher Ty Culbreth allowed a home run to Waves designated hitter Brice Savage to lead off the game and found himself in trouble again in the second inning. The Waves scattered a double, a triple and a single in between three fly outs to take a 3-1 lead in the second.
After falling behind in the first, the Foresters responded with a run of their own in the opening inning, as leadoff hitter Ben Johnson walked to kick things off for the Foresters. He proceeded to steal second and third before scoring on a wild pitch.
Despite leading 4-2 entering the fourth inning, Waves starting pitcher Jake Shulz left after three innings of work having walked four.
The Foresters were aggressive on the bases, stealing eight and advancing on three wild pitches by the Waves pitching staff.
