Though a nice, loud crowd did their best to urge the Foresters on, Santa Barbara managed only a pair of hits and lost to the OC Riptide Thursday night, 3-2, extending their season-long losing streak to three games. Things started reasonably well, as the Foresters matched the Riptide’s first-inning run with one of their own, courtesy of a Josh Jung ground out that scored leadoff hitter Austin Todd, who had walked. However, OC scored again in the second to take a 2-1 lead they never gave up. Santa Barbara didn’t get its first hit until the fourth, when Luke Ritter singled. When stealing second a few pitches later, he was hit by the throw from the first baseman and was down for several scary moments. However, with help from trainer Serena Bruhn and on-the-spot Dr. Chris Proctor, Luke was helped off and later checked out fine, though he did leave the game.
The Foresters made it exciting in the ninth. Zach Humphreys walked and then pinch-runner Hank LoForte later scored on a Jung sac fly. But that was it, as the Foresters offense fizzled.
Santa Barbara hopes to straighten things out on Friday when they welcome the Conejo Oaks for a 6 pm game at Pershing Park, part of the Sters final homestand of the season.
