This is why they play the games.
On paper, the Santa Barbara Foresters were riding a six-game winning streak. The Academy Barons were in the midst of a nine-game losing streak.
Yet, the Barons scored six times in the bottom of the first and held on to beat the Foresters, 7-6, in a California Collegiate League game in Compton Tuesday night.
The Barons put an exclamation point on the win by striking out the heart of the Foresters order in the top of the ninth.
The Foresters cut into the early hole with a four-run fourth inning, highlighted by an RBI double from Tevin Tucker and run-scoring single by Dru Baker.
Santa Barbara had nine hits on the evening, with Eric Kennedy picking up three, while Baker had a pair.
The Foresters’ bullpen was stellar, tossing 4.2 innings of one-hit ball, with Conner Woods going 2.2 innings, and Nico O’Donnell and Brock Helverson each posting a scoreless frame.
Santa Barbara stays on the road for a 6 p.m. game today at the Arroyo Seco Saints. Catch all the action on AM1290 or via newspress.com.
