Trailing late in the game, the Foresters nearly rallied in the ninth, but left the winning run on second base as they lost to Healdsburg, 8-7, in a game that included 11 pitchers and 19 hits between the two CCL teams.
Santa Barbara trailed 7-4 in the seventh and then 8-6 in the ninth. In that final frame, Colby Barrick was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a groundout. Trevor Abrams drove him in with a clutch, two-strike slicing single to right, the fourth hit and third RBI of the game for the Foresters’ rightfielder. John Brontsema followed with a bouncer between third and short. That duo moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. But Prune Packers’ closer Anthony Bender struck out Brendyn Arredondo and got a great play from his shortstop on a grounder up the middle by Connor McManigal to end the Foresters’ threat.
Healdsburg got the scoring started with a two-run Jake Scheiner homer in the first off Foresters starter Miles Sandum. The Foresters took the lead in the third. Abrams drove in two with a single and the go-ahead run scored when Brontsema grounded into a double play.
The Packers re-took the lead with two in the top of the fifth before SB’s Bret Boswell hit his second homer of the season in the bottom to close the gap. Then Healdsburg built a 7-4 advantage thanks to a two-run single by catcher Jake Ackerman.
Arredondo brought the ’Sters back to within one by powering a mighty blast over the leftfield fence in the eighty, scoring Brontsema ahead of him.
Dan James answered in the ninth to give the Packers a key insurance run before the Foresters final striving in the ninth.
The Packers’ fifth pitcher of the night, Vijay Patel, earned the win, while the Foresters’ third hurler, Daniel Robert was saddled with the loss after his three-run seventh.
The Foresters continue CCL play on Friday on the road against the SoCal Catch. Action begins on AM 1290 at 5 pm.
