The Santa Barbara Foresters turned in complete-game performance and won the California Collegiate League State Championship on Sunday, beating the Healdsburg Prune Packers, 6-1, in the deciding game of the three-games series at Cal Lutheran.
The victory was the 999th of Bill Pintard’s career as manager of the Foresters and sends the team off to Wichita, Kan., where they will defend their National Baseball Congress World Series title.
“I’ve been my spending my summer vacation there for 25 years, so it makes sense,” Pintard told SBForesters.org of going for his 1,000th win at the World Series.
The Foresters got outstanding pitching in Sunday’s championship game.
Starter Jake Jackson scattered six hits in his five innings, walking none and allowing only a home run. Kevin Larson threw
two nearly perfect relief innings. Jacob Burton issued a walk in the eighth, but then went 1-2-3. In the ninth, Brad Demco struck out the side to put an exclamation point on the mound performance.
“Larson picked us up big-time, and Jackson gave us two more innings than we thought,” Pintard told SBForesters.org. “I also thought (catcher) Ross Cadena did a great job calling pitches and keeping those guys off-balance.”
“I was just out there doing my thing today,” said Jackson, who will not be able to make the trip to Wichita. “I wanted to leave on a good note. I pitched to contact and I knew my defense would have my back.”
The Foresters scored five runs in the first four innings to provide their pitchers plenty of support.
The defense also played a big role in the win. Dru Baker made a leaping grab at shortstop to rob a hit, Blake Hall made a sliding catch in right field and Ross Cadena threw out a runner attempting to steal second.
After Healdsburg’s John Lagattuta homered off the foul pole in the second, the Foresters struck back for three runs in the third.
Cadena had a RBI single and Christian Franklin followed with a two-run homer for a 3-1 lead.
Ryan Cash continued his recent clutch hitting in the fourth, driving in Jacob Katzfey with a single. That chased the Packers starting pitcher. Eric Kennedy greeted the Healdsburg reliever with a run-scoring double to the right-field corner.
In the sixth, Cadena led off with a double, advanced on a passed ball and scored on a Nick Bellafronto single through a drawn-in infield.
CCL Commissioner Pat Burns handed the Foresters their second trophy of the weekend. They won the CCL South Division on Friday.