An evenly-matched Channel League baseball clash between Santa Barbara High and Ventura ended in a 3-3 tie after 9 1/2 innings on Friday at Eddie Mathews Field.
With one out in the bottom of the 10th, the umpiring crew called the game due to darkness, resulting in a tie.
The two teams also went into extra innings in their matchup on Tuesday, with the Dons (5-2-1, 1-0-1 Channel League) coming out on top 4-3 in nine innings.
“We’ve got a lot of grit and we don’t pack it up, if we get down and we find our way back,” Santa Barbara High head coach Steve Schuck said on what he has learned from his team this week. “The defense was good, the pitching was good, but the hitting could have been a lot better.”
After Santa Barbara starter Zeke Adderley worked around a walk in the top of the first, the Dons jumped on the Cougars with a two-out rally in the bottom half
Tosh Whitworth got things started with a single up the middle before Jetner Welch roped an RBI triple into the left-center field gap to open the scoring.
Santa Barbara wasn’t done there as Cruz Lorca came up and shot a line drive into right field to score Welch and give his team a 2-0 lead heading into the second.
Ventura responded in the second, taking advantage of three walks to load up the bases. Wylan Nelson came through with a two-run single and Josh Woodworth plated a run on an infield single to take a 3-2 lead and chase Adderley from the game.
Tanner Wilson came in and got the final batter to pop up and limit the damage to three runs.
“Zeke ran into a little bit of trouble and he had a hard time getting out of it, but you know what it’s going to happen,” Schuck said. “We’re going to put him right back on the hill next Friday and Zeke will be Zeke.”
After a full scoreless inning, the Dons evened the game up in the bottom of the third.
Kai Mault singled, stole second and advanced to third on a groundout to put the pressure on Ventura. Whitworth then came through with an RBI single that hopped over the third baseman’s head to make it 3-3.
The fourth inning went scoreless, including Ventura starter Cooper Tinkey striking out the side looking. Tinkey ended the day with 11 strikeouts and the Ventura pitchers struck out a total of 18 batters.
The fifth saw both offenses have their first two batters reach base, but both Wilson and Tinkey dug deep to put away the next three hitters and keep the game deadlocked at 3-3.
Lorca then took over for Wilson on the mound and set the Cougars down in order in the sixth.
The Dons had two batters reach in the bottom half but couldn’t capitalize as Tinkey struck out the side once again.
After Lorca struck out the side in the top of the seventh, Mault started the bottom half with a leadoff walk.
The speedster then stole second and took third on a passed ball to put the Dons in great position with no outs. However, the next three batters were retired in order to send the game into extras.
“We weren’t competitive in the box at all, we gave away at bats,” Schuck said. “We kind of slid backwards a little bit at the plate (late in the game).”
The Cougars threatened once again with a pair of baserunners in the top of the eighth, but Max Weddle came on in relief and got a pop out and a strikeout to preserve the tie.
With another chance to walk it off in the bottom of the eighth, Ventura reliever Trevor Woodworth struck out the side. However, Weddle worked around another runner in scoring position in the top of the ninth to set up another walk off opportunity.
After the first two batters were retired, Mault knocked a single into left field and stole second on the ensuing pitch to get into scoring position. Once again, however, the Dons couldn’t get the big hit and the game was sent into the 10th inning.
Weddle continued the Santa Barbara High dominance on the mound, setting the Cougars down in order in the top of the inning.
After Ventura’s three runs in the second inning, the Dons’ relief tandem of Wilson, Lorca and Weddle tossed 8 ⅓ scoreless innings while striking out 10 batters.
“The pitchers pitched big today,” Schuck said. “They got themselves in a little bit of trouble and they stuck their nose in there and they got it done… Nothing against the pitching
“We’re trying to get them to learn that this is a big ball park, telling them ‘Don’t nibble, go right after them and let them get themselves out.’”
After one batter was retired in the bottom of the 10th, the umpires convened and deemed it too dark to continue the game.
Santa Barbara High will look to get back into the win column at home on Tuesday against Rio Mesa at 3:30 p.m.