The Foresters’ hit parade continued in a rare Monday game at Ventura. Santa Barbara bats pounded Ventura pitching for 14 hits and carved out a 10-3 lead. The firepower backed another sterling outing for Ty Wiest, who went six innings, allowing only one unearned run and striking out 7.
“It would have been easy to have a letdown in this game, playing a team we’d beaten a few times,” said manager Bill Pintard. “But we came out right away and put pressure on them and scored early.”
Early as in the first at-bat of the game, when leadoff man Joey Fiske was hit by a pitch and moved around the bases to eventually score on a wild pitch. Hank LoForte followed, banging a single, stealing second and later scoring on a double-play ground ball. Walker Gristanti then knocked in Evan Lee, who had singled with two outs. The Sters then put up, in the words of announcer John Martony, a “picket fence” of single runs in the following innings. A Josh Jung single scored Lee, Gristanti got his second RBI in the third, and David Clawson—playing first base for the day—doubled in Jung.
So it was 6-0 Foresters after four innings before Ventura got on the board with a solo homer by Dalton Duarte. Santa Barbara moved back to five in front in the next inning when Jimmy Galusky’s squeeze bunt attempt stayed fair for an RBI hit instead.
Santa Barbara put things out of reach with three in the seventh. LoForte knocked in Steven Coe, who had singled. With Josh Jung up and two men on, the Halos leftfielder let the ball get past him to round out the Sters double-digit runs total.
Jake Eissler and Garrett Gayle cruised through three relief innings, striking out six between them.
“We pitched really well,” added Pintard. “Ty Wiest had a very good game and both guys who came on after him, Jake Eissler and Garrett Gayle, were very solid. Overall, I have to say I was really impressed with the effort of everyone tonight.”
The Foresters get a couple of much-deserved days off for the CCL All-Star break. The CCL All-Star Game will be Wednesday, July 12 at 7 pm. Watch it live on FOX Sports. Bill Pintard is coaching the team from the North, which will include seven Foresters. See the complete roster here.
“The All-Star break is a welcome break for everyone,” said Pintard. “The guys can get some rest and go fishing or surfing and enjoy Santa Barbara. But it’s not all play. On Tuesday, we are doing a United Way clinic for kids at Aliso School in Carpinteria, then on Thursday, we have our annual Cottage Hospital visit. And of course, the seven guys in the All-Star Game have a very full day on Wednesday, which starts with a Scouts Day event.”
Santa Barbara returns to action at Pershing Park with a four-game homestand (our second-to-last of the season!) starting on Thursday with a 6 pm game against the PUF Capitalists.
