Small Ball in the Summer: ‘Sters win 8-4

In their first and only matchup of the season, the Santa Barbara Foresters capitalized on anything they were given against CCL affiliate, the San Diego Bombers, in an 8-4 win. Unable to use their electric offense early, the 'Sters turned to small ball, bunting runners around, while limiting the Bombers' ability to do the same. The game was blown open in the later innings, once the bats found their patented pop.

Early on, the Bombers took advantage of 'Sters' starter Tanner Grove, who struggled to find the strike zone. An unlucky bounce over the head of Santa Barbara second basemen Chris Newstrom gave San Diego a 1-0 lead in the first. While leadoff man Marcus Gries looked poised to even things in the bottom half with a double and a steal of third, he was left stranded.

A failed bunt that ended up as an inning-ending double play kept the Bombers scoreless in the second, before the Foresters evened the score in their half. A leadoff single followed by a hit-by-pitch let Christian Turner lay down a picture-perfect bunt on the third base line to load the bases. Josh Woodworth eventually came around to tie it up on a Jake Despain RBI groundout.

Simple baseball handed Santa Barbara the lead in the third, where Carter Rutenbar doubled and was immediately driven in by returning Forester Makani Nabarro.

Although he surrendered multiple baserunners from the second onward, Grove managed to escape unscathed until the fourth, where a wild pitch gave San Diego their second and tying run. His final line was 5 hits, 2 walks, 2 earned runs, adding 3 Ks, before being replaced by Henry Prindle.

While Santa Barbara was unable to capitalize on 2 walks and a hit by pitch that loaded the bases, Prindle was unfazed, getting through 2 without allowing a run. With a little help from the defense, who turned one of the most improbable double plays you will ever see. After the Bombers' Dylan Towning broke for second on a designed first-and-third play, Prindle stepped off, managing to pick off the lead runner, Jett Grossart, who was gunning for home. After he was retired, Towning was doubled up trying to grab the free real estate left behind at third.

The sixth inning stayed eventful in the bottom half. Marcus Gries led off the inning with a walk, before a two-base error put runners on second and third for Landon Schaefer to drive in. Schaefer eventually came around on a wild pitch, bringing the 'Sters' lead to 3 at 5-2.

3 singles in the top of the seventh might have given San Diego a glimmer of hope, cutting the lead to just 2. This hope was short-lived, however, as two walks and two balks once again put Santa Barbara up 3. The opposite formula, power, then produced a 2-run homerun from Despain, pumping the 'Sters to an 8-3 lead.

After Max McGrady's inning of work and Brody Burlowitz's 2 pitches, Will Jordan was tasked with shutting the door in the eighth and ninth. While he conceded a 2-out run in the eighth, that is all the Bombers could muster, as Santa Barbara improved their record to 7-1.

The Foresters are off tomorrow, celebrating their 35th anniversary, before returning to action on Tuesday in Ventura against the Conejo Oaks. Every pitch can be caught on the Foresters' YouTube channel.