Salmon Goes Fishing For A Comeback, But SLO Blues Slip Away

The Santa Barbara Foresters put together a high-spirited late-game rally. Still, an early defensive collapse proved too much to overcome as they fell 10-8 to the San Luis Obispo Blues on Saturday night at Eddie Mathews Field. After building a three-run lead through the first four innings, the Foresters surrendered seven runs in the fifth before mounting a four-run rally in the ninth that came up just short. 

Nick Wesloski gave the Foresters a strong start on the mound, tossing four scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and striking out four. Joey Wittig took over in relief and had worked through the middle innings before Luke Cornelison closed out the final two frames, striking out two. Although Santa Barbara's pitching staff held the Blues scoreless in six of the nine innings, SLO capitalized on defensive miscues during a seven-run fifth inning and added three insurance runs in the ninth to secure their victory. 

Santa Barbara wasted little time generating offense, breaking a scoreless tie with an explosive three-run inning. Brady Janusek jump-started the rally with a leadoff double before stealing third base. Zane Becker followed with an RBI double to put the Foresters on the board. After a San Luis Obispo throwing error allowed another run to score, Carter Rutenbar doubled into scoring position before Chris Newstrom delivered an RBI single to left field, giving Santa Barbara a 3-0 advantage. 

The Foresters' defense and starting pitcher Nick Wesloski cruised through the first four innings, allowing just two hits while keeping the Blues off the scoreboard. The momentum shifted dramatically in the fifth. San Luis Obispo capitalized on a combination of timely hitting and defensive miscues, scoring seven runs on five hits while taking advantage of three Foresters' errors. The Blues received RBI contributions from Diego Gonzalez, Brendan Comerford, and Jonny Rodriguez, while several unearned runs helped erase Santa Barbara's early lead and put the visitors ahead 7-3. 

Santa Barbara answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Carter Rutenbar singled and later scored when Addison Klepsch lined an RBI single through the left side, cutting the deficit to 7-4. However, the Foresters were unable to capitalize further despite loading the bases with one out. 

The offense continued to create opportunities throughout the final innings. Janusek and Becker each collected singles in the sixth, while Klepsch reached base twice over the final three innings. Still, SLO's bullpen held the Foresters scoreless the rest of the way, stranding several runners and preserving the victory. 

Rutenbar paced Santa Barbara offensively with three hits, including a double, while Becker finished with two hits and an RBI. Newstrom added an RBI single and stole a base, Klepsch drove in a run with two hits, and Janusek reached twice, scoring a run. 

Despite being out-hit just 11-10, the Foresters were undone by defensive mistakes, committing four errors that led to multiple unearned runs. Santa Barbara's pitching staff settled in after the fifth, with Joey Wittig and Luke Cornelison combining to keep the Blues off the scoreboard over the final three innings. Still, the early damage proved too much to overcome. 

SLO added valuable insurance in the top of the ninth inning, extending its lead with three more runs. After Jonny Rodriguez recorded the first out, Diego Murillo singled, and Miles Mador followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position. Kosei Suzuki then delivered the big hit of the inning, lining a two-run single to center field that brought home both Murillo and Mador. The Blues capped off the innings moments later when Suzuki scored on a wild pitch, giving SLO a 10-4 advantage.

Despite Cesar Chavez reaching after being hit by a pitch, the Foresters limited any further damage as Diego Gonzalez and CJ Moran had both struck out to end the inning. The three-run frame provided the Blues with more than enough breathing room to secure the victory. 

The Foresters responded with one final rally in the bottom half of the ninth. Joseph Sandusky and Addison Klepsch opened the frame with back-to-back singles as a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Pinch Hitter Nick Salmon then electrified the home crowd by launching a three-run homer to right field, cutting the deficit to 10-7 and giving the 'Sters a new life. 

Santa Barbara continued to battle after the home run. Wylan Nelson retired for the second out, but Easton Moomau kept the inning alive with a single to center before Donovan Lasalle ripped an RBI double into the gap, bringing Moomau around to score. With the tying run still out of the dugout, Brady Janusek lined out to left field to end the game, as the Foresters' late comeback had fallen slightly short in a hard-fought 10-8 defeat. 

Catch the Santa Barbara Foresters for their last home game of the 2026 season at Eddie Mathews Field at 2 PM!