Walk it off! Zane Becker’s 12th-inning single drove in Caden Miller with the winning run to send the Foresters pouring onto the field for a chair-waving celebration at Eddie Mathews Field, as Santa Barbara outlasted the Arroyo Seco Saints 8-7 in 12 wild innings.
Foresters fans really got their money’s worth on Sunday as Becker’s hit capped off three very busy extra innings that saw a total of seven runs scored, nearly matching the 4-4 score after nine innings. Both teams scored a run each in the tenth, then a pair each in the eleventh, before the ’Sters finally wrapped things up in 12.
Zack James started the game for the Sters, going five innings and striking out five, but allowing the Saints to build a 3-0 lead. Two of the runs came on a homer by the Saints Joey Milto. The Foresters clawed their way back in the fifth when Miller singled, and a hard-hit double from Caleb Hoover to left field brought Miller to score. After a wild pitch, Becker got his first RBI of the game to drive in Hoover.
In the sixth, Easton Moomau hit a single, and Brenton Clark bunted the ball, but it was mishandled, putting runners on second and third. A wild pitch let Moomau score, tying the game 3-3.
The Foresters took the lead for the first time in the eighth, thanks to Farr’s aggressive baserunning. After singling and stealing second, he took off for third a few pitches later. The throw from the Saints catcher sailed into the outfield and Farr’s running made it 4-3. But the Saints managed to tie it on a two-out single in the ninth, leading to the extra frames of fun.
In the tenth, with the “ghost runner” rule in effect, the Saints loaded the bases and earned a run via a walk. But the Foresters matched it in their half, with Terrence Kiel driving in the ghostly Rulli on a sac fly.
More excitement in the eleventh after the Saints scored a pair to make it 7-5. No problem for SB, as the hero of Saturday’s late win came through again with Cole Chamberlain smacking a two-run single to tie the game . . . again.
After a quick shutdown top half of the 12th by Easton Tumis that ended with an unassisted double play by Farr, the Foresters found their magic.
With Miller on second, Easton Rulli reached on an error. Then Becker stayed calm and hit a walk-off RBI single to left, sending Miller home and the Foresters into celebration mode.
After ten days of baseball without a break, the Foresters will enjoy two much-needed days off before returning to SBHS on Weds to face the SLO Blues at 4:30 pm.
