Mike Klan
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – This Independence Day, Santa Barbara had the fireworks brought to them, losing to the California Tigers 7-6 in a break from CCL play. The game was back and forth early, tied at 3-3 in the fourth before the Tigers broke it open, taking advantage of the ’Sters’ inability to limit line drives and use their patented strikeout. Rallies in the eighth and ninth got the ‘Sters back in the game, thrilling a packed house (the largest attendance of the season so far) and Santa Barbara had the tying and winning runs on base, but could not scratch them across.
Extra base hits got the Tigers started early in the top of the second. Conner Smith, the team’s home run leader, led off the inning with another bomb before a double and a ground-rule double by 2025 Ventura High School graduate Josh Woodworth gave them a two-run advantage.
Despite two quick outs in the bottom half, it was a little rally that brought the Foresters back into the game. Zane Becker walked before advancing on a wild pitch, which allowed catcher Vince Gamberdella, in his return to the lineup, to double him home. He followed it up in the third by throwing out a runner trying to steal second, leaving his mark early.
JD Goodcase came in relief for starter Josh Hyneman after his three-plus innings of work. Inheriting runners at second and third, Goodcase walked the first, giving the Tigers a golden opportunity to extend the lead. After getting the lead runner at home, a line drive up the middle seemed destined to get out of the infield before Terrence Kiel made a leaping grab to turn an unassisted double play and keep Santa Barbara alive.
The Tiger lead didn’t last long after that, with the bottom of the fourth cutting it short. Sawyer Farr led off the inning with a walk before Caden Miller took a fastball right down the middle over the fence in right for a two-run bomb, tying the game at three.
Santa Barbara conceded again in the top of the fifth, with three singles giving the Tigers a 4-3 lead. A few singles in the sixth were enough for manager Bill Pintard to go to the pen, bringing Jaden Barfield in to try and escape a jam. The Tigers, however, wouldn’t let up, with two more walks and a single extending the lead to four at 7-3.
Zeke Adderley was brought in in the seventh, hoping to shut down the bats as the sun began to fall. Needing a quick inning, Adderley turned to his patented strikeout stuff, getting three by way of the K.
A heated discussion between the teams’ coaches seemed to bring some fire to the Foresters’ attack. Easton Moomau led off with a single, followed by a Cole Chamberlain walk, allowing consecutive hit-by-pitches and a fielder’s choice to cut the lead in half and it was 7-5 through seven.
In the top of the eighth, Adderley stayed perfect, retiring all three he faced, including two more by way of the K.
Tyler Phenow was the final Foresters pitcher of the night, getting through three quickly in the ninth, turning it over to the offense for the final time.
With two runners on with only one out in the bottom of the ninth, the winning came to the plate twice. First, Terrence Kiel came up and got sawed off, but muscled the ball for an RBI single that cut the lead to 7-6. After Kiel stole second and Brenton Clark walked, it was the classic moment: two down, winning run on second, bottom of the ninth, crowd on their feet. But a flyout ended the threat and the game.
The ‘Sters are on the road tomorrow in Pasadena, playing two (sort of) against the Arroyo Seco Saints. The first is at 4:30, finishing the suspended game from June 10; the second being an entire game, starting 45 minutes after the end of the first. Both can be streamed on the Foresters’ YouTube channel.
(Article courtesy of the Santa Barbara Foresters Sasha Duda).
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