By Jalen Kang
A trio of home runs from Augie Lopez, Jackson Freeman, and TJ Pompey lifted the Foresters to a 14-2 victory over the Ventura County Pirates, completing the four-game season series sweep.
Jack Holman got the ’Sters on the board with a double into the left-center gap, driving in his team-leading 20th RBI of the season. Nick Oakley followed it up with a two-run single to give the ’Sters a 3-0 first-inning lead.
One of the newest ’Sters, Augie Lopez, immediately made noise in his first start of the summer, blasting a two-run homer to the deepest part of the park. Lopez later put the finishing touches on his big day with a double in the ninth inning, finishing 2-4 with six total bases and 3 RBIs.
Three batters later, Jackson Freeman joined in on the party out front, sending a hanging offspeed pitch way over the right field wall for a no-doubt solo shot. Freeman reached base 5 times in today’s contest, scoring twice and driving in 3 runs. The ’Sters led 6-0 after just two innings.
A huge fifth inning for the ’Sters all but put the game out of reach for the Pirates. TJ Pompey kicked off a five-run frame by hitting the third home run of the day for the ’Sters. Pompey showed off his power to the opposite field, sending a ball over the right-field wall for a two-run bomb. The ’Sters took advantage of control issues from the Pirates’ pitching, working four walks and two hit-by-pitches while plating four runs in the inning amidst the chaos.
Frank Camarillo tossed 4.0 shutout innings while striking out 6 to set the tone for the ’Sters pitching staff. Hurlers Diego Ramos, Andrew Semo, Shea Wendt, and Ty Zahradnik combined on the mound to take care of the Pirates the rest of the way.
The ’Sters end the weekend 3-0 and have won eight of their last nine games. The CCL showcase game takes place on Wednesday before the ’Sters return to action on Thursday, July 18 to take on the SLO Blues. Come out to Eddie Mathews Field or follow along on our live YouTube broadcast, https://www.youtube.com/@SantaBarbaraForesters19.
