With Reagan Todd pitching six scoreless innings for the Foresters, and Lex Kaplan, Hunter Williams, and Hank LoForte taking care of the offense, Santa Barbara nabbed game one of their three-game series with the Walnut Creek Crawdads by a score of 4-2.
The Foresters struck early, scoring a run in the first inning for the third time in four games. The inning started with leadoff batter Kyle Isbel reaching first on an error. After Isbel stole second, Lex Kaplan roped an RBI double to right center field, plating Isbel and putting the Foresters ahead 1-0.
On the other side of the ball, the ’Sters had Reagan Todd. The 6-3 lefty from Arizona State allowed no runs in six innings for Santa Barbara and fanned a staggering nine batters. Though he gave up at least one hit in five innings, he proved he could get out of jams when push came to shove. In his last start, Todd posted an impressive seven-inning, one-run outing to lead the ’Sters to victory. With a miniscule 1.20 ERA, Todd has been a rock for the Foresters in each of his three starts this summer.
In the sixth inning, the Foresters added three more runs to make it 4-0. Hunter Williams led off the inning with a bomb that easily cleared the left field fence. The next batter, Dylan Paul, doubled to right field, advanced to third on a dropped third strike, and came in to score on a wild pitch. The final run scored when Hank LoForte lined a single between the Crawdads’ first and second basemen, bringing in Colby Barrick.
Walnut Creek would go on to get two of their own in the eighth inning, but the bullpen held, including a save by new Foresters’ pitcher Blake Smith, and the Foresters went on to win 4-2. Manager Bill Pintard said after the game, “We didn’t want to lose two in a row in league. We’re right up there at the top of the standings and every win is important to us.”
The Foresters look to continue what will hopefully be another long win streak, with game two of their three game series with the Crawdads starting tomorrow night at 5:05 pm.—Matthew Selman
