Enjoying a dose of Vitamin P, the Foresters came back twice on Sunday against the Conejo Oaks, with the final two-run, ninth-inning rally breaking Santa Barbara’s three-game losing streak and handing the Oaks their first loss of the young season, 6-5.
After missing three games while attending the MLB Draft in his work with the New York Yankees, manager Bill Pintard returned and brought some offense with him. Trailing 5-4 entering the ninth, the ’Sters struck quickly. Kyle Isbel walked and was running on a 3-2 pitch when Colby Barrick drilled the ball to the right field corner. Isbel scored the tying run on the two-base hit. Bret Boswell then drilled a two-strike pitch into the outfield to score Barrick with the go-ahead run. Lefty Nick Kennedy then wrapped up his 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to grab the win.
Along with Boswell’s three hits and two RBI, the Foresters’ offensive stars included Trevor Abrams, who hit his first homer and recorded his ninth and tenth RBI, and Barrick, who was 2-for-3 with that clutch ninth-inning ribbie. He had one of the team’s two stolen bases, with catcher Kreston Woods notching the other.
Tanner Lawson started and pitched well, allowing only two runs in his five innings of work. But Conejo touched up the Foresters’ relievers until Kennedy came in to calm the waters.
With a 4-4 record, the Foresters are looking forward to some real home cooking, as they make their Caesar Uyesaka debut on Tuesday at 5 pm against the Ventura Halos. See you at the ballpark! —Jim Buckley
