By Ryan Greenberg
SANTA BARBARA, CA — Three moonshot home runs and six lights-out innings from Carson Turnquist helped the Santa Barbara Foresters defeat the Orange County Riptide in the rubber match of a three game series by a score of 9-4. The Foresters jumped out to early offense and earned a 9-0 lead before the Riptide rattled off four consolation runs at the end of the game. The Foresters win the series 2-1 over the Riptide to expand their lead atop the CCL South standings to 3.5 games.
The Foresters wasted no time opening the floodgates on offense, something Coach Pintard must be pleased with after the Foresters’ bats stalled last series against the Riptide. After Carson Turnquist retired the side in short order in the top of the first inning, Max Belyeu’s single drove in Daniel Patterson from second base for the first run of the game. Will Rogers then crushed a two-run home run to earn the Foresters a 3-0 lead.
After two scoreless innings, Rylan Galvan expanded the Foresters lead to 4-0 with a solo home run to left field. One inning later, Jalin Flores drove in Patterson all the way from first base on a double to deep left field for a 5-0 Foresters lead. Will Rogers then drove in Flores from third base after a steal, and Eamonn Lance padded the Foresters lead with another insurance run on a solo home run to expand the Foresters lead to 7-0. In the seventh inning, Greg Pace advanced across home plate on a wild pitch, and during that same at-bat, Flores drove in Ryan Black to expand the Foresters’ lead to 9-0.
The Riptide scored a consolation run thanks to Nathan Cadena’s seventh inning solo home run, and scratched off three runs in the top of the ninth inning. A bases-loaded sacrifice fly from Connor McGuire drove in Bryce Blaser for the inning’s first run. Cary Arbolida then drove in Ayden Garcia on a single, and Cooper Dulich’s single scored Grant MacArthur for the final run of the rally.
Carson Turnquist started the game on the mound for the Foresters, going six scoreless innings, striking out five, and allowing one while earning Sunday’s win, making it through 4 ⅓ innings before allowing a baserunner. Jacob Hughes registered two innings in relief, allowing three runs before Patterson, who started the game at third base, closed the door in the final inning, allowing just one run. The Riptide pitching staff featured five arms today, and starter Matthew Maloney was charged with the loss.
The Foresters travel to Thousand Oaks Tuesday to take on the Conejo Oaks at Sparky Anderson Field, with the first pitch scheduled for 4:30 p.m. The Foresters then return home to Pershing Park on Wednesday for a non-league matchup against the Coastal Dodgers, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:00 p.m. All Foresters games can be heard live on 1290 AM radio; listen online or stream live via the Foresters’ website, www.sbforesters.org.
