The Santa Barbara Foresters took down the Arroyo Seco Saints by a score of 8-3 for their ninth straight win on Friday at Pershing Park.
With the victory, the Foresters remained in first place in the California Collegiate League while the Saints stood still in third place.
After two scoreless innings, the Santa Barbara offense exploded for four runs thanks to a homer by Ryan Galvan, a two-RBI single off the bat of Eamonn Lance and a run-scoring fielder’s choice.
Arroyo Seco responded with a run in the top half of the fourth, but the Foresters got the run right back with the team’s second long ball of the night, this one off the bat of Gianni Horvat to put his squad up 5-1.
The runs kept coming for Santa Barbara following a scoreless fifth, as the Foresters poured on three more runs in the sixth.
In the sixth, Greg Pace hit his second homer in as many days to extend the lead to 6-1. Max Belyeu then followed up Pace with a two-RBI single to center, capping off the Santa Barbara scoring for the night.
The Saints would put on two more runs, but it was too little too late as the Foresters captured the 8-3 victory.
The Santa Barbara pitching staff allowed just one earned run on the night, with Ben Bybee getting the start and tossing four solid innings to earn the win. He was relieved by Carson Turnquist, Jacob Hughes, Chase Hoover and Blake Pivaroff.
Hoover, the San Marcos High alum and TCU lefthander, got his first action of the summer, striking out one in the eighth inning.
The Foresters will hit the road for a rematch against Arroyo Seco on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Field.
