Another solid outing from Glenn Otto accompanied two no-hit innings from Tyler Cohen to put the Foresters in a position to win Friday night against the Saints. A late-game rally turned a 3-3 tie into a 9-3 Foresters victory as the team celebrated the life of longtime volunteer Doug Reeves.
The difference in this game was the eighth inning, when Santa Barbara sent 12 batters to the plate, collecting six runs on seven hits. The big hit of the inning was a pinch-hit, full-count, three-run homer by Lex Kaplan. Kaplan sent a 3-2 fastball into the parking lot beyond the right field fence for Santa Barbara’s second home run of the game. Dalton Brown came in relief for Tyler Cohen in the top of the ninth, and sent the Saints down in order one, two, three as the Foresters secured their fifth consecutive victory.
South Bay jumped to an early 1-0 lead in the top half of the first on an RBI single by Eijah Skipps.
The Foresters punched back in the bottom of the third after David Greer started the rally with a one-out double to left-center. Granger Studdard drove him in with a single before Jeremy Montalbano blasted a two-run homer to give the Foresters a 3-1 lead.
The Saints answered in the fourth with a two-run homer of their own off the bat of Bryce Peterson, knotting the score at 3.
The Foresters’ big eighth inning emphatically wrapped up the scoring. The Foresters finished with nine runs on 15 hits. Montalbano finished with two hits to go with two RBI while Kaplan added 3 RBI off his home run.
The Foresters will be back in action tomorrow against the Saints in game three of the series. Game time is scheduled for 1 P.M. at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
By: Jonathan Joseph Herkins
