Running on a five-game win streak, the Santa Barbara Foresters returned home to Caesar Uyesaka Stadium to open a two-game series against the Neptune Beach Pearl. The Friday night opener, sponsored by the Los Padres Boy Scouts, resulted in a 5-2 Foresters win and a now six-game win streak.
Riley Ferrell closed out the victory for the Foresters, pitching a scoreless eighth and ninth inning and struck out two to earn the save.
In his second start of the season, Ty Culbreth opened the game with a strikeout and a ground out before finding some trouble. Three straight Pearl reached base by way of a single, a walk and another single to score the first run of the game.
As is the norm for the 2013 Foresters, they answered right back in their half of the first. Steven Reveles was hit by the first pitch of the game and Keaton Jones took the next four for a walk. Unfortunately for the ‘Sters, Austin Darby failed to lay down the sacrifice for the first out before Shane Rowland walked to load the bases. However, only a wild pitch could score a run for the Foresters and the inning ended tied 1-1.
The Foresters continued the scoring in the second to take the lead 3-1. Catcher Michael Deceglie walked to open the inning and found himself on third after stealing second and moving to third on the throwing error. Steven Reveles singled Deceglie home and moved to third after a steal and a passed ball, later scoring on a Keaton Jones double down the left field line.
Pearl starter Devon Bronson was chased from the game after only two and a third innings, as he allowed four runs, three earned, after throwing 60 pitches and striking out one and walking four. Tanner McVey entered the game and threw three and two-thirds. McVey allowed a run credited to Bronson to score in the fourth, as Shane Crawford scored on an error by Pearl shortstop Richie Johnson.
In the sixth, Jones continued his recent hot hitting with a double and scored on the triple by Rowland, the Forester RBI leader. The Pearl responded by scoring one off of Forester reliever Brian Murphy, who came in for starter Ty Culbreth in the sixth inning, on a double by Michael Theofanopoulos to score Anthony Pitsch.
Culbreth left after five and a third with four strikeouts to earn the win, and Murphy threw one and two-thirds in relief prior to Ferrell entering the game.
