10 Straight! 'Sters Edge Barons

It only took two hours and nineteen minutes for the Santa Barbara Foresters to beat the MLB Academy Barons 2-1 in a tight game in the CCL South. Two runs were enough to push the 'Sters in this one as they guaranteed a season split with the Barons.

Jack Fowler was tasked with the start and dared the Barons on the basepaths from the get-go. After a leadoff walk, he was keeping close tabs on Eiji Sawamura, who was picked off right as he got too far off the bag at second.

The Academy got on the board first, capitalizing on a pair of singles and a wild pitch that put Santa Barbara in an early hole.

That hole lasted until the fourth, where the Foresters punched back. An Addison Klepsch single was sandwiched between Makani Nabarro and Aidan Camberg getting plunked, which let Sawyer Farr single home Nabarro and tie the ballgame.

The Forresters took the lead back in the fifth, in one of the strangest ways possible. Chris Newstrom doubled with one out, and after Josh Woodworth struck out on a wild pitch, Newstrom came around to score on the throw down to first that was induced from a dropped third strike.

Fowler was outstanding through his five innings of work. Along with picking up his second win of the season, he struck out four, only giving up four hits and a single earned run.

In this very slow offensive game, the ball was turned over to Caleb Hoover in the sixth. He was only tasked with facing seven batters, getting timely help from his defense when Camberg threw out a runner stealing second.

From the fifth onward, the two teams combined for only four hits, with none coming around to score. One of those was in the bottom of the ninth, when the Barons looked to get themselves a tie ballgame. With Carter Speights on the mound, and runners at second and third with only one out, it looked certain the 'Sters were in trouble. The trouble was quickly banished when a line drive was smoked to Landon Schaefer, who only had to take one step to his right to double up the Barons and end the game.

Speights ended up going two innings, working around two baserunners in both, while picking up his first save of the year.

This was the Foresters' tenth consecutive win.

Santa Barbara is back at Eddie Mathews tomorrow to take on the Philippines Baseball Group at 4:30.