A six-run ninth inning propelled the Santa Barbara Foresters to a 14-10 road victory over the MLB Academy Barons on Tuesday in Compton.
It was a back-and-forth affair throughout, and the Barons held a 10-8 lead heading into the top of the ninth.
Makani Nabarro (Hawaii) walked to begin the frame and was pinch-run for by Brady Janusek (Baylor), who stole second and came in to score on a Kurt Ippolito (Central Christian) single to cut the deficit to 10-9.
Carter Rutenbar (Arkansas) then walked and the ‘Sters pulled off a double steal to get runners in scoring position. New UCSB transfer Chris Newstrom came through on a full-count pitch, roping a two-run double to grab the lead at 11-10.
However, Santa Barbara wasn’t done there. Caleb Hoover (Nebraska) followed with a walk and, following a groundout, a wild pitch allowed Newstrom to come in to score.
Cole Chamberlain (Oregon) then provided one more blow in the inning, belting a two-run home run to right-center field to extend the Forester lead to 14-10.
Santa Barbara continued the rally with three straight free passes to load the bases, but the Barons escaped the jam to keep it a four-run game.
In the bottom of the ninth, Tanner Grove (Cal) came on and set the Barons down quietly to secure the victory.
The early stages of the matchup were a seesaw affair, as the Foresters plated three runs in the top of the first before the Barons answered with four runs in the bottom of the second.
Santa Barbara then scored three more runs in the top of the third, but the Barons swung back with runs in both the fourth and fifth to make it a 6-6 ballgame.
The two sides continued to exchange blows throughout the middle innings to set up the Foresters’ ninth-inning dramatics.
Chamberlain had a monster day at the plate for Santa Barbara, going 4-for-5 with two home runs, a triple, five RBI and three runs scored.
Meanwhile, Newstrom had a strong day of his own by going 2-for-3 with four RBI and two runs scored. Rutenbar and Luke Cornelison each had two hits, while Rutenbar came in to score three times.
The Foresters (20-4) will look to make it back-to-back road wins against the Orange County Riptide on Thursday at 7 p.m. at The Great Park in Irvine.