Foresters Flip the Script with Six Run Sixth Inning

After a quiet start offensively, the Santa Barbara Foresters erupted for a six-run sixth inning. They never looked back, defeating the Orange County Riptides 11-3 on Sunday afternoon at Eddie Mathews Field. In total, the Foresters collected 13 hits, stole seven bases, and received contributions throughout the lineup to secure another California Collegiate League victory. 

Santa Barbara's pitching staff set the tone early, limiting the Riptide to just five hits while combining for 8 Ks. Tanner Grove made the start on the mound, allowing 3 runs over 4.1 innings before Brody Berlowitz entered to escape the fifth inning threat. Max McGrady earned the victory with a scoreless sixth inning, while Zane Burns tossed 1.2 scoreless innings. And to close the game, Luke Cornelison pitched 1.1 hitless innings, striking out two to secure the win. 

The Foresters struck first in the bottom of the third inning when Chris Newstrom drove in Cole Chamberlain to take a 1 - 0 lead. Santa Barbara added another run in the fourth after Joshua Woodworth doubled and later scored, extending the advantage to 2-0. Orange County responded in the fifth with three runs, highlighted by a two-run single from Alonso Reyes and an RBI hit by Jarett Sabol, briefly moving ahead 3-2. 

However, the Riptides' lead did not last long. 

Santa Barbara erupted for six runs in the bottom of the sixth to take control of the game and took a one-run deficit into an 8-3 lead. Chamberlain ignited the rally with a moonshot solo home run before Carter Rutenbar delivered a go-ahead two-run single, putting the Foresters back on top over the Riptides. The offense did not slow down from there, as Donovan Lasalle, Easton Moomau, and Joseph Sandusky each drove in a run to cap the inning. The Foresters had continued to swing the bats throughout the afternoon, with Brady Janusek championing a triple. At the same time, Joshua Woodworth, Moomau, Sandusky, and Wylan Nelson each added doubles to fuel Santa Barbara's 13-hit performance. 

Sunday's game also marked Donovan Lasalle's first appearance in a Foresters uniform, and the newcomer from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette made an immediate impact both offensively and in the outfield. Batting toward the lower half of Pintard's lineup, Lasalle picked up his first hit with Santa Barbara and drove in a run during the sixth inning. He finished his 'Sters' debut 1-for-3 with an RBI while also playing solid defense in right field and scoring, marking his grand entrance with a Foresters 11-3 victory. 

Santa Barbara had continued to add on in the later innings, refusing to let Orange County back into the game. Wylan Nelson came off the bench to rope a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth. Newstrom added his second RBI of the afternoon to cap the scoring, while Chamberlain crossed the plate three times and swiped two bases. The Foresters also applied pressure on the basepaths, stealing seven bases as a team, with Chamberlain, Newstrom, and Carter Rutenbar each recording two steals. 

Sunday's win displayed the depth of Bill Pintard's lineup, with every starter reaching base and seven different Foresters recording an RBI. Chamberlain's home run highlighted an afternoon of disciplined hitting, while the pitching staff combined to hold Riptide to just five hits and three runs. Backed by a balanced offensive attack, aggressive baserunning, and yet another strong outing from the bullpen, the 'Sters cruised to an 11-3 victory and will continue building momentum for their 35th consecutive bid to the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kansas, to defend their national titles later this month. 

As always, 'Ster it up!