Article by Henry Rounds

PASADENA, CA – After two games of shaky offense, the Arroyo Seco bats exploded for 13 runs on 15 hits against the MLB Academy Barons. The bullpen found its form with five innings of one-run ball to keep the Barons at bay, as the Saints routed the Barons 13-3 Friday night at Brookside Park in the first of a three-game CCL series.  

The Barons wasted little time, countering with a pair of runs off of Charles Peacock in the fourth inning on a one out single. Academy was in position to add to the lead with two runners on and still only one out, but Peacock worked a crucial popup to second baseman Drew Cowley, who was able to double up the runner at first.

The very next inning trailing 2-1, the Saints mounted a big rally to retake the lead. Drew Cowley doubled to lead off the Arroyo Seco fourth, and the very next batter, Brennan McKenzie, singled to tie the game 2-2. Then, with two outs and Bennett McCaskill and Bryce Gray on first and second respectively, Cooper Williams cleared the bases with a booming double to center, scoring both Saints and giving Arroyo Seco a 4-2 lead. Jack Smith reached on an error, scoring Williams to give the Saints their largest lead of the game at 5-2.

For the second game in a row, Arroyo Seco took an early lead. This time, it was Dalton Ney smashing a one out double to left to give the Saints a runner in scoring position. One batter later, Bennett McCaskill bounced an RBI single into center field to put Arroyo Seco on board.

On the mound, starter Charles Peacock pitched well, stranding Baron runners in the first, third, and fourth innings and holding the Barons to two runs before giving way to a Jacob Jenkins, with runners on first and second and no outs. It was a prime opportunity for the Barons to climb back into the game, but Jenkins came up big, getting a fly out and double play with the bases loaded to end the inning and the Baron’s rally.

The Saints blew the game open with seven runs with two outs the sixth inning. Jack Smith and Drew Cowley each had RBIs hits that pushed the lead to seven. Then, with Arroyo Seco already up 9-2, Brennan McKenzie hit a three-run home run to dead center field that plated Angelo Armenta and Cowley to give the Saints an insurmountable 10 run lead.

The very next inning, McKenzie added to an already-impressive game with an RBI single to give him five for the game and put the Saints up 13-2.

HE SAID IT

Interim Head Coach Matt Troupe on responding after yesterday’s loss: “Really approach the game the right way from pitch one till that ninth inning, that last pitch that [Russomano] threw, and they did.  They responded really well to that. No ABs were taken off, no pitches were taken off, no plays out in the field or on the base paths were taken off. And that’s really all we can ask for.”

Right Fielder Brennan McKenzie on his different approach this game: “From the past couple of games, I’ve realized I’ve been a little bit late with my timing, so I switched from a 34-inch bat to a 33, which kind of helped a little bit too. Just kind of like a subconscious thing, so it kind of helped me get on track a little bit better and start my swing a little bit earlier.”

NEXT UP

The Saints hit the road for game two of the three game series against the Barons on Saturday at 1:00 pm before returning home for the finale on Sunday afternoon.