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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Elsewhere around the CCL today:
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.
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