June 27, 2018
Fullerton, CA
Luke Bandy (Dallas Baptist) hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, Austin Sojka (Ok Wesylan), Mason McWhorter (Georgia Southern) and Bandy drove in runs in consecutive at bats in the seventh to break open a seesaw game and lead the Orange County Riptide to a 6-3 win over the Southern California Catch today at Fullerton College. Bandy’s homer, coming with two outs and following a two-out single by McWhorter, put the Riptide on the board for the first time in the game and tied the score 2-2 after the Catch scored twice in third inning on three consecutive singles and a sacrifice fly. Orange County took its first lead in the sixth when Bandy, who had a game-high three hits, singled, advanced station-to-station on a single and a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch. In the seventh inning it was the Catch’s turn to tie the game when Skyler De Los Reyes (UC Riverside) singled to lead off the inning and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly. The tie game was short lived, however, as the Riptide put two runners on base in their next at bat with a one out walk and hit batsmen and Sojka drove in the go-ahead run with a single, McWhorter hit a sacrifice fly and Bandy collected his third RBI of the game with a run-scoring single to make the score 6-3. Doug Magee and Jacob Parker (Georgia Southern) retired the Catch in order in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to secure the Orange County win.
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Elsewhere in the CCL today:
Headsburg, CA
The Santa Barbara Foresters swept a doubleheader against the Healdsburg Prune Packers, winning 2-0 and 7-5 today at Recreation Park.
Gavin Velasquez (Cal St Fullerton), Hunter Breault (Oregon), Elliott Anderson (Auburn) and Bryce Elder (Texas) combined to throw a four-hit shutout in the first game, recording a total of 13 strikeouts while allowing only two walks and no extra base hits. Breault had a game-high five strikeouts in three innings of work in relief of Velasquez, who started and pitched two innings. Anderson pitched the sixth and seventh innings, notching three strikeouts and retired the last four batters he faced before turning the pitching duties over to Elder who retired all six batters of the eighth and ninth innings in order with four strikeouts. The Foresters scored single runs twice when Logan Allen (Arkansas-Ft. Smith), who had a game-high three hits, doubled home Ryan Cash (Oklahoma St), who had singled to lead off the third inning, and when Conor Davis (Auburn) singled to lead off the fifth inning and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly. Chase Illig (West Virgina), who tripled and singled, Cash, who added a second single, and Allen were the only Santa Barbara hitters to record a multiple-hit game. Quentin Selma (Cal) had two of the four singles to lead the Healdsburg offense. Sam Reinertsen (Pacific) started on the mound for the Packers, recording three strikeouts over four-plus innings, but allowed both Santa Barbara runs on eight hits to suffer the loss.
In the nightcap, Davis hit a solo home run, Cash hit a two-run triple and the Foresters withstood a last-inning rally that saw the Packers score three times and put the tying run on base before James Notary (TCU), who was brought into pitch mid-inning to get the last out with the bases loaded and surrendered a Jacob MacNichols (Santa Clara) two-run double, struck out the final batter to close out the win. Notary was brought into the game in relief of Chase Wallace (Tennessee), the fifth Santa Barbara pitcher used in the game, who started the ninth with the Foresters comfortably leading 7-2. But when two hit batsmen and, after a strikeout, two walks forced in a run and loaded the bases, Notary was brought in. The Foresters had a 6-0 lead earlier in the game, scoring twice in the second inning on RBI-singles by Davis and Turner Gauntt (Texas), once in the third when Davis earned an RBI for drawing a bases-loaded walk, and three times in the fifth when one run scored on an error and Cash drove two in with a two-out double. Eric Pamow, the third Healdsburg pitcher of the game, struck out eight over the next four innings and, for the most part, shutdown the Foresters offense. The only hit he allowed was Davis’ solo home run in the seventh inning. Other than that and one walk, Parnow retired every batter he faced. Luke Fegen (Indiana State) doubled to lead off the fifth, eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly to get the Packers on the board, and Sam Wezniak (Cal) hit a solo home run in the sixth to account for the other Healdsburg run.
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San Luis Obispo, CA
Brandon Ponticelli (Kansas) and Nick Rincover (Pierce College) struck out seven and six batters, respectively, Elijah Alexander (Rio Grande Valley) had three hits, including an RBI-triple, Chase Cockrell (Ole Miss) hit an RBI-triple and Andrew Lucas (Northridge) hit a solo home run to lead the Coenjo Oaks to a 6-1 win over the San Luis Obispo Blues tonight at Sinsheimer Park. Ponticelli started on the mound for Conejo and, despite allowing a lead off home run by Jay Charleston (Tennessee), a single and a hit batsmen to the first three batters he faced, settled in for a strong outing, retiring the next nine batters in order and, with the help of a fourth inning double play, 15 of the next 17. He did face some adversity in the sixth inning, however, when an error let the lead off man aboard and two walks loaded the bases, but he was relieved by Rincover, who proceeded to strikeout the last two batters of the inning and the Oaks escaped unscathed. Rincover then faced his own adversity in the seventh, escaping another two out situation with runners in scoring position by striking out the last batter, before striking out two more in the eighth and retiring the side in order in the ninth to close out the win. The Oaks never trialed in the game. Charleston’s home run in the first only tied the game 1-1 because Michael Spears (Ole Miss), who had singled and moved to third on a Brandon Lewis (UC Irvine) double, scored on a Cockrell RBI-ground out. Conejo took the lead for good in the second inning when Alexander tripled in Drew Sims (Utah Valley), and added to it when Spears, who with Alexander had a game-high three hits, singled and scored on a Cockrell RBI-single in the third, and Alexander doubled and scored on a Tanner Wright (Cal Lu) RBI-single in the fourth. Lucas’ home run in the eighth inning and Cockrell scoring on a wild pitch after tripling in the ninth accounted for the last two Oaks runs. Chase Walter (Western Carolina), who came into the game in relief of Blues’ starting pitcher Dane Morrow (Pepperdine) in the fourth inning, and Josh Andrews (Grand Canyon), who pitched after Walter, each recorded four strikeouts in two innings of work to highlight the San Luis Obispo pitching.
June 26, 2018
Healdsburg, CA
The remarkable winning streak which has been the top story of the CCL season so far is over as Ian Villers (Cal), Jackson Cunningham (Northridge) and Chrit Rudkin (Montevallo) combined for a 15-strikeout, four-hit shutout of the Santa Barbara Foresters, leading the Healdsburg Prune Packers to 3-0 win tonight at Recreation Park. The loss ended the Foresters 12-game winning streak to start the CCL season. Villers, who starting on the mound for Healdsburg, notched two strikeouts in each of the three innings he pitched and escaped two innings with runners in scoring position by striking out a batter for the third out. Cunningham pitched the next four innings without giving up a hit, stuck out five and pitched through two situations when the leadoff batter of an inning reached via an error, both times striking out the next two batters he faced. Rudkin pitched the last two innings of the shutout, allowing one hit while striking out four, including the final outs of both innings. The Packers got all the offense they would need in their first at bat. Wendell Champion II (Houston) doubled to lead off the bottom of the first inning and scored when the next batter, Ryan Ruley (Loyola Marymount) reached on an error. Two outs advanced Ruley to third and a passed ball allowed him to score to give Healdsburg a 2-0 lead. Quentin Selma (Cal) drove a runner in from first base with a double with two outs in the fifth inning to post the final 3-0 margin.
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Elsewhere in the CCL today:
Compton, CA
Tristan Peterson, Drew Cowley (Cal Poly Pomona) and Gabe Chavez (San Bernardino) each hit an RBI-double in a four-run fourth inning to lead the Arroyo Seco Saints to a 6-4 win over the Academy Barons today at the MLB Urban Youth Academy. The four-run inning gave the Saints a 6-0 lead, adding to runs produced by a Bennett McCaskill (Dartmouth) two-out RBI-single in the first inning and a Chavez RBI-single in the third. From that point forward in the game, however, the scoring was exclusively on the Barons side as they slowly got back into the game. Trevor Mattson (Arcadia) got the Academy on the board with an RBI-double in the fifth, got them closer when he and Adam Cendejas each drove runs in with two-out singles in the sixth, and Daniel Harris (Eastern Kentucky) drove in another in the seventh with a RBI-single of his own to make the score 6-4. While the Barons mounted increasing pressure on the Saints pitching, they also squandered opportunities to score more, leaving runners in scoring position in four of the last five innings. Saints pitchers Bobby Fulkerson (So New Hamp) and Joey Steele (USF) were key to preserving the win, as Fulkerson pitched out of a situation when he was inserted into the seventh inning with no outs and a runner on second base, ultimately stranding two runners in scoring position without allowing a run to score, and Steele, who came into the game with two runners aboard and two outs in the eighth inning, pitched out of that situation by striking out the first batter he faced and then retired the side in order in the ninth to save the win.
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La Mirada, CA
Declan Kearney (Azusa Pacific) struck out six over five innings, Anj Bourgeois (Biola) had four hits and two runs scored and Skyler De Los Reyes (UC Riverside) went three-for-three with a pair of RBI to lead the Southern California Catch to an 8-6 win over the Orange County Riptide today at Biola University. The Catch jumped out to a 6-0 lead after three innings, scoring one in the first on a Wacy Crenshaw two-out RBI-single, three in the second on consecutive RBI-singles by Miguel Abascal (USD), Bourgeois and David Martinez (Senior) and two in the third on a two-run single by De Los Reyes. At the same time, Kearney was blanking the Riptide, including escaping a situation in the second inning when Austin Sojka (Ok Wesylan) led off with a triple but was ruled out in the next at bat for leaving third base early while attempting to score on a fly ball. Kearney was not so lucky in the fourth inning, however, as a two-out error extended the inning and Brandon Alamo (Stony Brook) hit a three-run home run to make the score 6-3. The Catch responded with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as Daniel Jung (Notre Dame) hit an RBI-double and scored on a Jacob Rogers (UNLV) single. Orange County would score single runs in sixth, seventh and eighth innings, Sojka and Mason McWhorter (Georgia Southern) driving in runs with singles and Paul Gomez (Missouri) doubling in one, but the Riptide also squandered run-scoring opportunities, leaving runners in scoring position in each of the last four innings, twice with no outs.
June 24, 2018
Healdsburg, CA
Dylan Francis (Cal Poly Pomona) pitched six innings of shutout ball, and Sam Shaikin (Valparaiso) and Chase Cockrell (Ole Miss) each hit two-out two-run doubles to lead the Conejo Oaks to a 8-1 win over the Healdsburg Prune Packers today at Recreation Park. Francis allowed only two hits in his six-inning start, striking out five while walking two. He retired the side in order in three of his innings, retired three of four batters twice and allowed only one runner to get into scoring position, in the fifth inning when the two hits he allowed, both singles with two outs by Sam Wezniak (Cal) and Cade Peters (UC Riverside), but retired the next batter on a fly ball to continue unscathed. The Oaks offense took advantage of eleven walks allowed by Healdsburg pitchers, converting five of them into runs. The Oaks got on the board in the second inning when three walks loaded the bases and Zach Kaminkow (UNLV) hit a two-out two-run single to make the score 2-0. Two walks helped Conejo load the bases again in the fourth inning and this time it was Shaikin’s turn to come through with two outs, driving in a pair with a double and later scoring on a two-run error to up the Oaks lead to 6-0. Then, with two outs in the sixth inning, a Brandon Lewis (UC Irvine) double and a walk put two runners aboard for Cockrell to drive in with his double. Nick Rincover (Pierce College) relieved Francis in the seventh inning and pitched one an two-thirds innings without allowing a hit and the only baserunner he allowed, a lead-off walk to start the eighth inning was erased on a double-play. Angus Denton (Arkansas) recorded the last four outs for Conejo, striking out two and allowed the Packers only run of the game in the ninth when Ryan Ruley (Loyola Marymount) doubled, advanced to third on an infield groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly to make the final score 8-1.
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Elsewhere in the CCL today:
Santa Barbara, CA
The Santa Barbara Foresters chased down the Arroyo Seco Saints, trailing 3-0 after Saints starting pitcher Blake Beers (Michigan) held them scoreless for the five innings he pitched, but scored twice immediately following his exit and twice more in the eighth inning to win their twelfth game in a row to start the CCL season 4-3 today at Pershing Park. Beers, who scattered five hits, struck out three and walked two before being replaced, was helped by two double-plays turned in by the defense around him and, in his final inning, despite allowing three singles to load the bases, escaped with his scoreless outing intact. Once Beers left the game, however, the Foresters offense started scoring. A leadoff walk started the sixth inning for Santa Barbara, followed by an RBI-double by Chase Illig (West Virginia), his second of the game, and a run-scoring error that made the score 3-2 with no outs recorded in the inning. Wyatt Kelley (New Mexico St) came into pitch with a runner in scoring position and escaped further damage by striking out two and got another out on groundball. Kelley pitched another scoreless inning in the seventh to maintain the Saints lead, escaping a dangerous inning that saw five baserunners reach base without a run scoring as two baserunners were erased off the bases in fielder’s choice outs and Kelley stranded three by getting a line drive out to end the inning. JD Russomano (Corban) entered the game in the eighth and got the first two outs quickly, but a single by Kameron Guangorena (Cal St Fullerton), an RBI-triple by Ryan Cash (Oklahoma St) and a throwing error that allowed Cash to score put the Foresters ahead for good. Santa Barbara utilized seven pitchers in the game, with the last five relief pitchers combining to throw four hitless, scoreless innings to secure the win. Brett Standlee (Oklahoma State) started on the mound, throwing four innings with five strikeouts and two runs allowed, one via a Cooper Williams (New Mexico St) triple and an RBI-single by Brennan McKenzie (Cal Poly Pomona) in the second inning, the other generated by Jack Smith (ASU), who singled and stole two bases to score in the third. After the Saints scored their third run of the game via a leadoff walk, a bunt hit and a sacrifice fly, three Santa Barbara relievers retired the Saints in order for three consecutive innings to allow the offense to take the lead. Trailing for the first time in the game going into the ninth inning, Arroyo Seco did get the tying run into scoring position with no outs when the first two batters walked. Garrett Crochet (Tennessee) came into pitch mid-inning with the two runners on, struck out the first batter he faced, hit the next batter to load the bases, but then started a one-two-three groundball double-play to end the game and keep the Foresters winning streak going.
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Compton, CA
The Academy Barons scored four runs in their final at bat, Jacob Shanks (UC Riverside) hit a bases-clearing three-run triple, and Trent Anderson (CSU Bakersfield) had a game-high three hits, including the big hit in the eighth inning to lead the Barons to a 7-6 win over the Southern California Catch today at the MLB Urban Youth Academy. Trailing 5-3 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, Anderson came to bat with the bases loaded and one out and drove in two runs with a double to tie the score 5-5. Then, after the second out was recorded on a fielder’s choice out at the plate, Anderson scored the go ahead run on a passed ball and an insurance run scored after on an error to make the score 7-5. The insurance run proved valuable because the Catch would score one in the top of the ninth inning when Jacob Rogers (UNLV) and Omar Ortiz (Cochise College) led off the inning with consecutive singles. Kris Keach (Cal State LA), who was brought into pitch to close out the win for the Barons, struck out one batter, wild pitched the two runners into scoring position, got the second out on a run-scoring groundout and then struck out the last batter to secure the win. The Catch scored single runs in each of the first five innings and got a strong pitching performance from Tayt Smith (Azusa Pacific), who notched six strikeouts in three innings of work in relief of starter Matt Reitz (Covenant College) who left the game after three innings with the score tied, having allowed Shanks’ three-run triple in the third inning. Deylen Miley (Tiffin) had his second three-hit game in as many nights, driving in two runs on a double and two singles, Ortiz matched Miley and Anderson with a game-high three hits, Anj Bourgeois (Biola) had an RBI-double and Daniel Jung (Notre Dame) added an RBI-single to highlight the Catch offense.
June 23, 2018
Healdsburg, CA
The Healdsburg Prune Packers scored 11 runs in both ends of a doubleheader sweeping the Conejo Oaks today at Recreation Park.
Jake MacNichols (Santa Clara) hit a first inning two-run home run, Luke Fegen (Indiana State) hit a solo home run in the second, Wendell Champion II (Houston) hit a pair of RBI-doubles and Ryan Shreve (Pacific) notched six strikeouts in four innings of work to lead the Packers to a 11-4 win in the opening game of the doubleheader. Shreve, who started on the mound for Healdsburg and surrendered a first inning solo home run to Brandon Lewis (UC Irvine), struck out four consecutive batters after the homer and struck out the last two batters he faced before turning the pitching duties over to the bullpen with a 4-2 lead. Fegen singled and scored on Champion’s first double, and Champion scored on a double-play ball to up the Healdsburg lead to 6-2 in the fifth inning and, after Chase Cockrell (Ole Miss) singled home a run for the Oaks in the sixth, the Packers blew the game open when Quentin Selma (Cal) doubled to lead off the bottom of the sixth, scored on Champion’s second double, and then Healdsburg scored four more in the seventh. Ramon Gomez (Oxnard College) hit an RBI-double in the top of the seventh to account for the Oaks fourth run.
In the second game of the doubleheader, three Healdsburg pitchers combined to strikeout 12, Selma hit a three-run home run, and Bryan Arias (San Antonio) hit a solo shot and an RBI-double to lead the Packers to an 11-2 win. Arman Sabouri (Cal) struck out the side in the seventh inning, retired the side in order in the eighth and, after Cockrell hit a solo home run to lead off the ninth inning, struck out the next three in order to close out the win for Healdsburg. Chase Gardner (UConn) started on the mound for the Packers, striking out three over three innings, and allowed the only other Oaks run when Sam Shaikin (Valparaiso) tripled to lead off the game and scored on a ground ball out. Henrik Reinertsen (Pacific) pitched the middle three innings scoreless and also struck out three while allowing only one hit. The Healdsburg offense scored three times off of Oaks starting pitcher Kevin Holcomb (Glendale JC) despite Holcomb striking out seven over four innings. Arias drove in the first run in the first inning with his RBI-double and Fegen hit a two-run single in the second but, as soon as Holcomb left the game, the offense, as it did in the first game today, scored in bunches. The two home runs by Arias and Selma plated four in the fifth inning and Healdsburg scored four more in the eighth, the big hit being a two-out, two-run double by Blake McDonald (Santa Rosa JC).
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Elsewhere in the CCL today:
Santa Barbara, CA
Caleb Sloan (TCU) struck seven of the first nine batters he faced, three relievers pitched four-plus innings of hitless, scoreless ball and the Santa Barbara Foresters won their eleventh straight game to start the CCL season beating the Arroyo Seco Saints 6-3 tonight at Pershing Park. Sloan was dominant the first time through the Saints lineup, allowing only a walk and one hit, a Colin Shepherd (Miami-Ohio) double to lead off the third inning. Retiring the next six batters after the double, Sloan allowed three runs, all unearned, in the fifth inning after hitting the lead off batter, giving up a double to Bryce Gray (Notre Dame) and then committing an error himself to allow two runs to score. After a second out was recorded in the inning, Drew Cowley (Cal Poly Pomona) singled home the third unearned run of the inning and Sloan was lifted from the game. Cowley’s hit would be the last of the night for Arroyo Seco. Isaac Coffey (Oral Roberts) got the last out of the fifth inning and the first out of the sixth, Elliott Anderson (Auburn) pitched two and two-third hitless innings, and Chase Wallace (Tennessee) pitched a hitless ninth to secure the win. Offensively, the Foresters scratched out six runs on nine hits despite striking out eleven times as a team. Arroyo Seco starting pitcher Cameron Brown (Notre Dame) recorded five of the strikeouts over four innings of work, but two one-out walks in the third inning led to two Foresters runs, and an error in the fourth led to a third. Michael Gomez (Cal Poly Pomona) relieved Brown in the fifth inning and recorded the other six strikeouts over the next three innings, allowing the fourth Santa Barbara run to score when Conor Davis (Auburn) doubled in the seventh inning and scored on a two-out RBI-single by Ryan Cash (Oklahoma St). The Foresters scored twice more in the eighth, a Utah Jones (North Greenville) RBI-single being the big hit to post the final 6-3 score.
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La Mirada, CA
Caleb Bly (Oklahoma Baptist) notched eleven strikeouts and his team’s offense hit five doubles and a triple as the Southern California Catch beat the Academy Barons 8-4 today at Biola University. Bly collected his eleven strikeouts over seven innings of work, striking out the side twice and, at one point, striking out eight of nine outs recorded. His only blemish came in the fourth inning, ironically one of the two innings he struck out the side. In that inning, Trent Anderson (CSU Bakersfield) led off with a single and scored on a Daniel Harris (Eastern Kentucky) RBI-double and, after Bly struck out a hitter for the first out of the inning, RJ Bates (San Bernardino) singled home Harris before Bly struck out the next two. Bly would strike out one more batter in each of the next three innings before turning the pitching duties over to Tyler Mckee, who pitched the eighth, and Connor Mushinski (Weatherford), who struck out three in a scoreless ninth to close out the Catch win. Offensively, the Catch relied on extra base hits to generate their eight runs. Hill Alexander (Dallas Baptist) tripled home a run in the first inning, Daniel Jung (Notre Dame) doubled and scored the first of two Catch runs in the third, and Kristian Franklin (Grambling St), Jake Boone (Princeton) and Jacob Rogers (UNLV) all hit two-out RBI-doubles to generated four runs in the fifth, one of which was a lead-off double by Omar Ortiz (Cochise College). Eight of the nine batters in the lineup for the Catch collected hits today with Deylen Miley (Tiffin) collecting a game-high three. Anderson and Harris each recorded multiple hit games for the Barons.
June 22, 2018
Santa Barbara, CA
Jackson Wolf (West Virginia) struck out eight with no walks allowed over five innings and his offense got just enough to earn him the win as the Santa Barbara Foresters continued their remarkable run to open the season by beating the Southern California Catch 4-2 tonight at Pershing Park. Winners of ten straight to open the CCL season, and winners of three straight in as many days against the Catch, the Foresters relied on their pitching tonight. Wolf was dominant. Surrendering a lead-off single to Anj Bourgeois (Biola) to start the game, the left-hander retired the next ten batters he faced in order before allowing a bunt single with one out in the fourth. Undaunted, Wolf struck out the next batter and then picked the runner off base to get out of the inning unscathed. Similarly in the fifth inning, Wolf allowed a lead-off single to Omar Ortiz (Cochise College), but Ortiz was erased in the next at bat when Wolf induced a double-play ground ball and, after allowing another single, Wolf retired the final batter he faced on a ground out. The Santa Barbara offense meanwhile, which was outhit tonight by the Catch hitters eight to six, managed one run in the fourth inning when Luke Ritter (Wichita St) led off with a double and scored one out later when Kameron Guangorena (Cal St Fullerton) drove him in with an RBI-ground out to put Wolf in line for the win. Catch starting pitcher Hayden Jorgenson (Azusa Pacific) kept pace with Wolf in the early innings, retiring the first eight batters he faced and allowing only one baserunner, a two-out single by Brandon Zaragoza (Oklahoma) in the third inning, before Ritter opened the scoring in the fourth. In the sixth inning, however, the Foresters got insurance runs off Jorgensen when Ryan Cash (Oklahoma State), Ritter and John Jensen (UC Irvine) hit consecutive singles to open inning, eventually plating two runs to make the score 3-1. Conner Woods (UNLV) was the first relief pitcher inserted into the game, relieving Wolf in the sixth inning and striking out the side but, in the seventh, Woods allowed three walks, a single by Ortiz and the Catch to get within striking distance 3-2. But that is as close as they would get. Brad Demco (Sam Houston State) came into the game with two outs in the seventh and squashed the Catch rally by picking off a runner and then retired the first two batters he faced in the eighth before allowing a single by Daniel Jung (Notre Dame) and a double by Hill Alexander (Dallas Baptist) to put the tying and go-ahead run in scoring position. Zack Matthews (Oklahoma) relieved Demco and struck out Ortiz to end the threat and then pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the win. Santa Barbara took advantage of an error and two walks to score their final run of the game in the eighth inning to make the final score 4-2.
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There were no other CCL games today.
June 21, 2018
San Luis Obispo, CA
Jordan Chriss (Columbia) struck out seven batters over four innings, Jay Charleston (Tennessee) had three hits and Matt Anderson (Georgia Southern) hit a big, two-out two-run double to lead the San Luis Obispo Blues to a 6-2 win over the Academy Barons tonight at Sinsheimer Park. Chriss started strong, striking out the first three batters of the game and, after surrendering a Joseph Argumedo (Lynn) solo home run and a double by Jacob Shanks (UC Riverside) to lead off the second inning, he finished strong as well, retiring the next nine batters he faced in order, including a hit batsmen who was erased from the bases on a double-play. Argumedo’s home run, which pulled the Barons even 1-1 after Charleston singled and scored in the first inning to give the Blues the early lead, was the only run the Academy would generate until the eighth inning when Desmond Gates (West LA JC) singled to lead off the inning and went station-to-station around the bases on three passed balls to score. It was too little too late as the Blues had built a comfortable lead by then. Conagher Sands (Cal Poly) doubled and scored in the second inning, a Charleston RBI-grounder and Anderson’s two-run double plated three in the fourth and Sands scored for the third time on a Noah Taylor (Cal Poly) double in the sixth to highlight the Blues offense. Peyton Sherlin (Dallas Baptist) retired six of the seven batters he faced in relief of Chriss, Gabe Constantine got out of a one out bases-loaded situation without giving up a run in the seventh but was on the mound when Gates scored in the eighth, and Josh Andrews (Grand Canyon) struck two in a scoreless ninth to secure the win for San Luis. Kyle Salley (Duke) struck out four over four innings but allowed five runs on four hits and four walks to suffer the loss.
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Elsewhere around the CCL today:
La Mirada, CA
Kameron Guangorena (Cal St Fullerton) hit a two-run home run, Michael Neustifter (Oklahoma State) added a solo shot and the Santa Barbara Foresters rode a 17-hit offensive attack and scored nine runs in the final three innings to break open a 4-2 game on the way to defeating the Southern California Catch 13-2 today at Biola Universty. It was the Foresters ninth straight win to open the CCL season and the second in as many nights against the Catch. All ten batters the Foresters put in the lineup today collected hits including Logan Allen (Arkansas-Ft. Smith), the league’s leading hitter so far this season, who maintained his .500 average with three hits in six at bats, and Tyler Hardman (Oklahoma), who matched Allen with a game-high three hits. Trailing after Anj Bourgeois (Biola) hit a two-out RBI-single to drive in Daniel Jung (Notre Dame) in the first inning for a Catch 1-0 lead, Santa Barbara answered in their next at bat and took the lead for good when Chase Illig (West Virginia) doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a Easton Murrell (Arkansas) RBI-single and, after Hardman’s first single of the game, Murrell scored the go-ahead run on a Guangorena sacrifice fly. After Hardman and Allen hits paved the way for two more Foresters runs in the fourth inning, the Catch got their second run in the fifth when Hill Alexander (Dallas Baptist) hit a lead-off home run to make the score 4-2. Then, starting in the seventh inning, the Foresters offense heated up. Neustifter and Guangorena hit their home runs in the seventh to generate three runs, Parker Upton (Creighton) hit an RBI-triple and scored on a wild pitch to generate two in the eighth, and four consecutive singles and a walk generated four more in the ninth. Michael Hobbs (St. Mary’s) started on the mound for Santa Barbara, pitching five innings with three strikeouts and no walks allowed before turning the pitching duties over to the bullpen. Matt Hartman, who surrendered Alexander’s home run, struck out the next three batters he faced, and Brad Demco (Sam Houston State), James Notary (TCU) and Garrett Crochet (Tennessee) each pitched a scoreless inning to secure the Santa Barbara win.
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*The Orange County-Healdsburg series scheduled today and tomorrow in Healdsburg was cancelled after the bus scheduled to transport the Riptide team had a major accident on the way to picking up the team. No passengers were on the bus at the time of the accident but the driver was hospitalized and one of Orange County’s busiest freeways was shut down as a result of the accident. Alternative transportation for the visiting team could not be arranged and the CCL has ruled the cancelled games will not result in a forfeit or penalty. The two teams are attempting to find available dates in their schedules to make up as many of the three games cancelled as possible.
June 20, 2018
La Mirada, CA
Chase Illig hit a pair of solo home runs and drove in the first of five runs in the eighth inning as the Santa Barbara Foresters, winners of eight straight games to start the CCL season, overcame a 3-2 deficit to beat the Southern California Catch 7-3 today at Biola University. Trailing for the first half of the game after Jacob Rogers (UNLV) hit a two-run double and scored three batters later on a bases-loaded walk gave the Catch a 3-0 lead in the second inning, the Foresters got back into the game one Illig hit at a time. Illig hit his first home run with one out in the fourth inning off Catch starting pitcher Declan Kearney (Azusa Pacific), the only run Kearney, who struck out seven in five innings, would allow before turning the pitching duties over to the bullpen with the Catch leading 3-1. Illig struck again in the sixth inning, hitting his second solo home run of the game to get Santa Barbara within one. Then, coming to the plate with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth inning, Illig tied the score with an RBI-ground out and, three batters and one out later, scored the go ahead run when Tyler Hardman (Oklahoma) hit a bases-loaded two-out two-run single to give the Foresters the lead. Andrew Wiss (Air Force), who along with college teammate Christian Gambale (Air Force) were playing in their final summer game this season before returning to the Academy for duty, then followed Hardman with a two-run triple to post the final 7-3 score. Bailey Reid (Westmont College), the fourth Santa Barbara pitcher of the game, was credited with the win after striking out six over the seventh and eighth innings before turning the ball over to Chase Wallace (Tennessee) who pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the win. Hunter Breault (Oregon) pitched three-plus innings scoreless in relief of Santa Barbara starting pitcher Dane Acker (Rice), who went one and two-thirds innings, and Miles Sandum pitched a scoreless sixth inning to keep the Foresters within striking distance. Rogers added two late-inning singles to go with his early double to finish with a game-high three hits, while Daniel Jung (Notre Dame) had a pair of singles for the Catch.
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Thousand Oaks, CA
Christian Moya (USC) hit a double to drive in the tying and go-ahead run with one out in the top of eighth inning and Joey Steele (USF) entered the game to pitch with two runners on with one in the bottom of the eighth and struck out two, and then pitched a scoreless ninth to lead the Arroyo Seco Saints to a 4-3 victory over the Conejo Oaks today at Sparky Anderson Field. Trailing after a pair of Michael Spears (Ole Miss) doubles and an RBI-double by Elijah Alexander (Rio Grande Valley) generated three early runs for the Oaks, the Saints got within striking distance in the fifth inning when Brennan McKenzie (Cal Poly Pomona), who finished with a game-high three hits, led off with a single and scored on a double by Mitch Kerner, and a two-out RBI-single by Gabe Chavez (San Bernardino), who drove in Kerner to make the score 3-2. Michael Gomez (Cal Poly Pomona) pitched two-plus innings scoreless, allowing only one hit in relief of Saints starting pitcher Jonathan Russomano (Corban), and Reed Osborn (Howard JC), who followed Gomez with one and third inning scoreless, held the Oaks offense in check until a pair of one out walks to Saints hitters set the table for Moya’s big hit.
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San Luis Obispo, CA
Logan Pollack (Michigan) drove in Andrew Wilson (Marymount-NAIA), who had reached base on a two-base error, with the go-ahead run with two outs in the top of the ninth inning and Kris Keach (Cal State LA) retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Academy Barons to a 4-3 win over the San Luis Obispo Blues tonight at Sinsheimer Park. In a game that saw the lead change three times late, it was the team who capitalized on miscues last who came out on top. With the score tied 2-2 after seven innings of play, the Barons took advantage of a passed ball to move a runner into scoring position with two outs, an opportunity RJ Bates (San Bernardino) turned into a run with a run-scoring single. In the bottom of the eighth inning it was the Blues turn to cash in as four consecutive one-out walks tied the score 3-3. Then, in the top of the ninth, Wilson reached second base with two outs via an error and Pollack delivered the game-winner. An RBI-single in the third inning by Auston Chastain (Fresno St) and a Conagher Sands (Cal Poly) run-scoring single in the fourth drove in Justin Lutes (Pepperdine), who had led off the inning with a triple, generated the Blues’ two early runs. Roosevelt Barnes (Morehouse College) hit a solo home run in the fifth inning and, earlier, Joseph Argumedo (Lynn) singled and eventually scored on a Pollack sacrifice fly in the second to score the Barons first two runs. Jake Binder (Ithaca College) started on the mound for the Academy, allowing two runs over five innings of work while striking out five and did not figure in the decision. Thomas Triantos (Cal Poly) started and pitched the first four innings for the Blues, allowing one run while recording four strikeouts before turning the pitching duties over to Cameron Ziegler and Clark Eder (San Diego St) who each allowed one run in two innings pitched with two and three strikeouts respectively. Ben Kirke (Grand Canyon) struck one while working the ninth inning and, when Pollack’s hit proved enough, was saddled with the loss.
June 19, 2018
San Luis Obispo, CA
The San Luis Obispo Blues batted around in two innings, scoring eight runs in the first inning and six times in the eighth en route to beating the Academy Barons 14-5 tonight at Sinsheimer Park. Five Barons errors combined with four singles and an RBI-double by Luc Lipcius (Tennessee) resulted in the first-inning run around the bases, and five walks, a hit batsmen and a pair of two-run singles by Blayne Jones (Dallas Baptist) and Conagher Sands (Cal Poly) led to the eighth inning outburst. While the score was decidedly lopsided, the two offenses were fairly even. San Luis Obispo hitters totaled twelve hits while the Barons came up with eleven. The big difference was the shut-down ability of the Blues pitchers. The Barons put runners on bases via hits in eight of the nine innings tonight but ended up leaving eleven runners on base. Blues starting pitcher Frankie Scalzo (San Jose St) scattered four hits over four innings of work, striking out five, before turning the pitching duties over to the bullpen, highlighted by a two strikeout scoreless ninth inning appearance by Peyton Sherlin (Dallas Baptist).
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Pasadena, CA
Aaron Simpson (Ball State) had three singles and two runs scored, including scoring the go-ahead run from first base in the seventh inning on a Luke Bandy (Dallas Baptist) two-out RBI double to lead the Orange County Riptide to a 3-2 win over the Arroyo Seco Saints tonight at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Riptide had been chasing down an early 2-0 deficit for most of the game after Cooper Williams (New Mexico St) drove in a pair of runs with a one-out RBI-double in the first inning for the Saints. Orange County got on the board in the second inning when Jake Pries (UCLA) doubled to lead off the inning, stole third base and scored on an error to make the score 2-1. For the next three innings Saints starting pitcher Colin King (Regis) would allow only two batters to reach bases, both via singles, one of which was erased on a double-play, before leaving the game with the Saints in the lead. The pitching and defense from the other dugout was just as stingy, however. The Riptide sent eight different pitchers to the mound tonight and, besides the two first inning runs allowed, stranded eight Saints baserunners without giving up a run over the final eight innings, including picking two baserunners off third on throws from Riptide catcher Chase Sebby (Ball State). Orange County got the equalizing run in the sixth inning when Simpson led off with a single, advanced station-to-station on a walk and a Pries single before scoring with two outs on an error to tie the score 2-2. Simpson started things again in the seventh inning, collecting his third hit with two outs before scoring the go-ahead run on Bandy’s double. Williams, who also singled in third inning and doubled in the fifth, matched Simpson with a game-high three hits.
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Thousand Oaks, CA
The Santa Barbara Foresters withstood a late-inning charge by the Conejo Oaks to win their seventh game without a loss this season, beating the Oaks 6-5 today at Sparky Anderson Field. With Santa Barbara leading 6-1 with six outs to get, the Oaks scored once in the eighth inning when Chase Cockrell (Ole Miss) led off with a double, his game-high fourth hit, and who would later score on a wild pitch. The Oaks then rallied for three more runs in the ninth, sending eight batters to the plate and stranding two aboard before Garrett Crochet (Tennessee), who was brought into pitch for the final three outs, struck out his third batter of the inning to close out the win for Santa Barbara. Bryce Vitt‘s bases-loaded two-run single and an RBI-single by Bart West (USC), both with two outs, were the big hits for the Oaks in the rally that just fell short. Santa Barbara, after scoring an unearned run in the second inning, opened up their lead with a pair of runs on three singles in the fourth, and three more hits, including an RBI-double by Andrew Wiss (Air Force) and a run-scoring single by Brandon Zaragoza (Oklahoma), which plated three more runs in the fifth. Foresters starting pitcher Conner Woods (UNLV) threw three scoreless innings before turning the pitching duties over to James Notary (TCU) who picked up the win in relief, striking out four batters over three innings of work. Five Conejo pitchers combined to strikeout twelve, with starter Brandon Ponticelli (Kansas) being saddled with the loss.
June 17, 2018
Thousand Oaks, CA
Dylan Francis (Cal Poly Pomona) notched eight strikeouts over five innings and RBI-singles by four hitters in the fifth inning led the Conejo Oaks to a 9-1 victory over the Academy Barons today at Sparky Anderson Field. Francis scattered three hits over his five-inning start, two of which plated the only run of the game for the Barons in the first inning, a one-out single by Trent Anderson (CSU Bakersfield) and a two-out RBI-double by Garrett Ouellette (CSU Bakersfield). From there Francis got stronger as his outing progressed, striking out one in the second inning with a runner in scoring position, two more in the third and striking out the last four batters he faced over the course of the fourth and fifth innings. After the Oaks took advantage of a hit batsmen, a walk and two Academy errors to score twice and take the lead in the second inning, Conejo scored five times in the fifth inning to take command of the game when Tyler Ryan (Pacific), Michael Spears (Ole Miss), Michael Tillman (Cal St LA) and Sam Shaikin (Valparaiso) all came through with RBI-singles. The Oaks bullpen took command of the game from that point forward as John Vergara, Eric Ma (Whitman College), Nick Rincover (Pierce College) and Gerry Ramirez (Glendale JC) took their turn pitching a scoreless inning to close out the win, combining to allow only two hits and four total baserunners, two of which were caught stealing. The final two Oaks runs came when Bryce Vitt tripled with one out in the seventh inning, scoring on a sacrifice fly, and in the eighth when Brandon Lewis (UC Irvine) doubled, advanced to third on an error and scored on a wild pitch.
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Santa Barbara, CA
Ryan Cash (Oklahoma St) tripled and scored in the first inning, Michael Neustifier (Oklahoma State) singled and scored in the second, and a five-pitcher rotation made the two runs hold up as the Santa Barbara Foresters beat the San Luis Obispo Blues 3-1 today at Pershing Park. It was the second time in as many days the Foresters pitching staff thwarted the Blues offense. After six pitchers combined to no-hit San Luis Obispo last night, the five pitchers today were in more of a bend-but-not-break mode. After being retired in order for the first two innings by Santa Barbara starting pitcher Brett Standlee (Oklahoma State), the Blues started putting offensive pressure on the Foresters, putting runners into scoring position in six of the last seven innings. After Standlee retired the first seven batters he faced in order, Jay Charleston (Tennessee) singled in the third inning and scored when Auston Chastain (Fresno St) tripled with two outs. That would be the only run the Blues would muster off of Santa Barbara pitching in the two game set. Standlee, who would pitch five innings today, left two runners in scoring position in the fourth inning after Slade Heggen (Gonzaga) and Luc Lipcius (Tennessee) hit consecutive singles to lead off the inning and were sacrificed into scoring position, but Standlee struck out one and got a line-out to escape unscathed. Charleston led off the fifth inning with a another single and, after he was erased on a caught-stealing, Standlee induced two ground ball outs before turning the pitching duties over to the bullpen. As they had done last night, the Foresters relievers were nearly unhittable. Hunter Breault (Oregon) pitched two innings scoreless, allowing the only hit, a double by Brandon Frazier (Georgia Gwinnett) to lead off the seventh inning, the Blues would get the rest of the game. Jackson Wolf (West Virginia), the fourth Santa Barbara pitcher used in the game, faced the toughest situation, entering the game with two runners aboard via walks in the eighth inning and no outs, but he also escaped unscathed, inducing two infield pop-ups and striking out one. Chase Wallace (Tennessee) struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning of work to close out the win for Santa Barbara. The Foresters offense got the two runs they needed to win the game in the first and second innings, and added an insurance run in the seventh. Cash’s one-out triple in the first led to the first run, Neustifier scored in the second after he singled and advanced station-to-station to third base on a walk and a Kameron Guangorena (Cal St Fullerton) single, and advanced to home on a two-out bases-loaded walk. Santa Barbara scored their third run when Guangorena singled again and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly.
June 16, 2018
Santa Barbara, CA
Six pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter, facing only four batters over the minimum for a perfect game, as the Santa Barbara Foresters blanked the San Luis Obispo Blues 5-0 tonight at Pershing Park. Caleb Sloan (TCU) started on the mound for Santa Barbara and threw the first four no-hit innings, striking out eight and allowing three walks, one of which was erased on a ground ball double play. Garrett Crochet (Tennessee), Conner Woods (UNLV), Jackson Wolf (West Virginia), James Notary (TCU) and Chase Wallace (Tennessee) then each took their turn, each throwing a hitless inning. As a staff, the Foresters pitchers recorded a combined 14 strikeouts and only one runner, Brandon Frazier (Georgia Gwinnett) reached as far as second base having walked and advanced on a passed ball. The Santa Barbara hitters did little more than the San Luis offense through the first four innings but, in the fifth, they got all the runs they would need when Utah Jones (North Greenville) hit a two-run home run, driving in Ryan Cash (Oklahoma State) who had walked to lead off the inning. The Foresters scored three more times in the sixth inning, loading the bases with no outs on two walks and a hit batsmen in front of a Cash two-run single and a Michael Neustifter (Oklahoma State) RBI-double. Cole Tucker started on the mound for the Blues and kept pace with Sloan in scoreless innings until Jones’ home run in the fifth inning saddled him with the loss.
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Compton, CA
Four pitchers combined to throw a shutout and Andrew Wilson (Marymount-NAIA) came through with a clutch two-out single with the bases loaded to drive in the only runs of the game as the Academy Barons beat the Arroyo Seco Saints 2-0 tonight at the MLB Urban Youth Academy. Erik Gutierrez (Lipscomb) started on the mound for the Barons, scattering six hits and two walks over four-plus innings while striking out four. Gutierrez’ outing was anything but smooth sailing. He faced situations with runners in scoring position in three innings and, when the Saints loaded the bases against him with one out in the fifth inning via a John Thomas (USC) single and two walks, Gutierrez turned the pitching duties over to Kyle Salley (Duke) who induced an inning-ending ground ball double-play. Salley then struck out the side in the sixth inning and pitched a scoreless seventh before Joshua Stephens (Beaufort) and Ryan Hare (UNLV) each retired the side in order for one inning to secure the Barons win. Blake Beers (Michigan), the starting pitcher for Arroyo Seco tonight, was perfect through three innings before Trent Anderson (CSU Bakersfield) opened the fourth inning with a lead-off double. Two walks and two outs later Wilson, who would also triple later in the game, came up with the bases loaded and delivered what would turn out to be the game-winning hit. Wilson, Thomas and Alex LeForestier (Pacific) had two hits apiece and were the only players to record multiple-hit games.
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Thousand Oaks, CA
The game between the Conejo Oaks and the Southern California Catch today was suspended due to darkness after nine innings with the score tied 4-4. Stats for this game will be reported when the game is resumed at a later date to be determined.