Ryan Black hit a game-tying double in the sixth inning and Greg Pace homered in the seventh, lifting the Foresters to a 4-3 win over the Conejo Oaks at Pershing Park on Saturday.
It was the fourth straight win for the Foresters, who complete their regular season Sunday at Pershing Park against the San Luis Obispo Blues and then head to Wichita to defend their NBC World Series title.
Santa Barbara, champions of the California Collegiate League South Division, is seeking a third straight NBC title and 11th overall.
The Foresters rallied from a 3-1 deficit. They scored a run in the fourth off Oaks’ starter Cody Carson. Rocco Garza-Gongora doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Black’s sacrifice fly.
In the sixth, Black doubled off reliever Charlie Adamson to drive in Daniel Patterson to tie the score at 3-3.
Pace led off the seventh with a solo homer off Adamson for the eventual winning run.
Right fielder Max Belyeu protected the lead with a huge defensive play in the eighth.
The Oaks had runners at second and third with no outs. Reliever Zac Colletti got Paton to hit a fly ball to right. Belyeu caught the ball a delivered a strike to catcher Rylan Galvan who tagged out the runner at home for double play. Colletti then induced a pop-out to Jalin Flores at shortstop to end the inning.
Zane Petty started on the mound for the Foresters and gave up three runs on six hits and two walks in five innings. Colletti pitched four shutout innings and allowed four hits and a walk.