The Santa Barbara Foresters’ run at an 11th National Baseball Congress World Series title came to an end Thursday as they were beaten by the Hutchinson (Kan.) Monarchs, 3-2, in a quarterfinal game at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kan.
Hutchinson beat the Foresters in last year’s championship game.
Santa Barbara took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Andrew Semo led off with a double, moved to third on a Jonah Sebring groundout and scored on an error on Jackson Freeman’s infield dribbler.
Hutchinson scored two runs in the third on a walk, single and a fielder’s choice; the Foresters couldn’t turn a double play on Jaden Gustafson’s slow roller, which allowed the go-ahead run to score.
The Foresters stranded two runners in the fourth and another in the seventh.
Jackson Cloud pitched a solid seven innings for the Foresters. He allowed two runs on three hits, walked three and struck out seven.
Cloud gave up a pair of walks in sixth, but manager Bill Pintard elected to leave him in and it paid off. Cloud induced a roller up the middle that shortstop T.J. Pompey grabbed and stepped on second to end the threat.
Monarchs starter Braydn McClure stymied the Foresters with a mix of off-speed pitches. He allowed fours hits and walked only one.
In the eighth, Hutchinson capitalized on an error to score an insurance run that proved decisive.
The Foresters tried to rally in the ninth. An error by the shortstop allowed lead-off hitter Pompey to reach base. Will Rogers singled into right field and Jonah Sebring loaded the bases with a one-out single.
Hutchinson closer Ian Lanik struck out Freeman looking for the second out. He then threw a wild pitch with Jonny Rodriguez at the plate and that allowed Pompey to score to make it 3-2. Lanik regrouped and struck out Rodriguez to end the game.
Santa Barbara finishes the season with a record of 26-12.
