By Jalen Kang
The Foresters’ bats soaked in the hot summer sun, fueling the offense to a come-from-behind win with 12 runs scored. Jonah Sebring blasted not one, but TWO two-run homers to help erase a deficit as large as six runs against the Arroyo Seco Saints on Saturday evening, resulting in a 12-11 ’Sters win.
After the Saints (4-2) put up two four-run innings in the second and fourth, the ‘Sters (4-2) went into the halfway point of the contest trailing 8-2.
The ‘Sters answered the Saints’ big inning by cutting their deficit in half, plating three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Addison Klepsch reached on an infield single, advanced to second from a Saints throwing error, and showed off savvy baserunning by scoring from second base on a bunt after home plate was left uncovered by the Saints infield. With two outs, Sebring blasted his first two-run homer over the left-center field wall to make it an 8-5 ballgame.
A two-run homer for the Saints just a half inning later negated the big hit from Sebring, but the ‘Sters once again had an answer offensively.
In the bottom of the fifth, the ‘Sters put up a four-spot of their own to get within one run.
Jack Holman drove in one with an RBI single, Jackson Freeman drove in two with a double, and T.J. Pompey grounded into a fielder’s choice to score another, getting the ‘Sters within a run.
Sebring’s second big fly of the game gave the ‘Sters their first lead of the game in the seventh. After Jack Bollengier laid down a perfect bunt single, the red-hot Sebring stepped to the plate. He got a hanging offspeed pitch right down the middle and sent it a long way over the left field wall to make it 11-10 and give the ’Sters their first lead of the game.
Drew Markle came off the bench and single-handedly got the ‘Sters an insurance run in the eighth. After smoking a two-out single through the ride side, Markle survived a pickle between first and second base, getting all the way to third on an errant throw. The next batter, Bollengier, walked, and after he took off for second base, Markle broke for home plate and successfully pulled of the double steal to get the ‘Sters a two-run lead, 12-10.
Markle’s run proved to be huge, as the Saints made it interesting with a solo homer in the ninth and were able to get the tying run to third base, but closer Will Rogers got the job done in the end, completing a six-out save.
The ‘Sters are on the road as they look to make it three wins in a row against the MLB Academy Barons tomorrow, June 16th.
