LA MIRADA, CA – It was a close game between the Southern California Catch and the Arroyo Seco Saints on Friday at Biola University, ultimately ending in a win for the Catch. The Saints held the lead for most of the game but lost it in the bottom of the eighth. They were unable to regain their lead, and the final score was 3-2 in favor of the Catch. The Saints’ offense got off to a promising start in the third inning with runs coming in from Drew Cowley and John Thomas to put them ahead 2-0. A run from the Catch cut the Saints’ lead in half in the bottom of the same inning, and the Catch later tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. In the eighth, the Catch added on one more run that solidified their win.

The Saints’ offense started off strong with Cameron Briggs and Drew Cowley singling to right. John Thomas added a bunt single, but the top of the inning later ended with no runs. In the bottom of the first, the Catch recorded one single but also did not score any runs. Saints’ right-handed pitcher Wyatt Kelley struckout one batter in his first of four innings pitched. The second inning came and went with no runs as well. A few moments in the bottom of the second threatened to change that. Brennan McKenzie made a spectacular warning track catch for the Saints on a hard hit ball by the Catch batter. Later on in the inning, the Saints  got out of an early bases loaded jam thanks to clutch pitching from Kelley.

The Saints scored their two runs in the third inning. The inning began with a double to left field by Drew Cowley. A sacrifice fly by Bennett McCaskill then moved Cowley to third base in the very next at-bat. Cowley was driven home thanks to an error by Catch second baseman Kristian Franklin on a ground ball by John Thomas. Thomas stole second base and reached third on a single by McKenzie, colliding with the third baseman on his way to third base. Jenkins hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Thomas and put the Saints in the lead, 2-0. The Catch’s Daniel Jung came in to score their first run of the game in the third to make the score 2-1. Kelley also recorded his second strikeout in the bottom of the third.

There were no runs added by either side in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. Kelley was able to make his way out of the fourth inning with no more runs scored, ending his outing with two strikeouts and one earned run. Reed Osborn took the mound in the bottom of the fifth, striking out the first batter. Osborn later threw a second strikeout in the bottom of the sixth and a third strikeout in the bottom of the seventh before being replaced by Bobby Fulkerson that same inning. The bases were loaded for the Catch after to two two-out walks and a single by Jacob Rogers. They scored the tying run on an error before the Saints caught the second runner in a rundown to end the inning.

The Saints tried but were unable to recapture the lead. Gray drew his third walk of the game in the eighth inning, but the top of the inning ended with him still on base. The Catch’s final and winning run came at the bottom of the eighth on an error by Cowley on a throw to Cooper Williams at first. In a final effort for the Saints, Cowley reached first on his third hit of the game to become the tying run, but they were ultimately unable to drive him in to tie it.

UP NEXT

The Saints have another shot against the Catch on June 30th. This time they will play the SoCal Catch at Jackie Robinson Field at 6 PM.