PASADENA CA – Led by Gabe Chavez and Brennan McKenzie, Arroyo Seco pounded out 17 hits, all of which were needed as the Saints let a 10-run lead slip away, only to rally in the ninth inning with three runs to take down the Riptide in the first game of a two-game CCL series Friday night at Brookside Park.

The Saints built an early 12-2 lead after three innings, only to see the Riptide chip away inning by inning. After Arroyo Seco starter Colin King pitched five innings to go with five runs, the Riptide rallied against the Saints bullpen. Orange County pushed a  single run across in the seventh inning to make it a 12-6 game, and eight runs over the eighth and ninth innings – including five against normally reliable reliever Joey Steele in the ninth to rally all the way back from a 12-2 deficit give Orange County a 14-12 lead, their first of the game.

The Saints had not scored since the third inning, but in the bottom half of the ninth and trailing 14-12, the Arroyo Seco offense came alive. Colin Shepherd and Alex Briggs led of with pair of walks to put runners at corners and the game-tying run at first base with no outs. The very next batter, Drew Cowley chipped in a single to pull the Saints to within one run at 14-13. Tristan Peterson was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs and Cooper Williams walked to force in a run and tie the game. Two batters later, Bennett McCaskill worked the game-winning walk to complete the rally and take down the Riptide 15-14 and end a four-game losing streak..

With Saints up three in the final inning the first two Riptide batters reached scoring position following an error and double to put the scoring run at the plate. After a strikeout for the first out, the Riptide plated two runs on a double to right to make it a 12-11 game. A flyout to right served as the second out and moved the game-tying run to third base. Steele then started the next batter with a quick two strikes before serving the game tying single to right field and giving up the go-ahead double to give the Riptide their first lead at 14-12.

The Saints offense was hot to start the game. Gabe Chavez went 4-5 to lead four Saints with multi-hit games, Brennan Mckenzie chipped three hits of his own, and Arroyo Seco built a 10-run lead with an eight-run inning to start the game and a four run inning later in the fourth. In the first inning, Drew Cowley, Tristan Peterson, and Cooper Williams each reached base to load the bases for the Saints with one out. The next two batters, Bennett McCaskill and Gabe Chavez stroked a pair of RBI singles, and Drew Cowley later added a second RBI single, giving the Saints a huge 8-0 lead. Later, in the fourth inning after the Riptide chipped away with a pair of runs to make it an 8-2 game, Tristan Peterson launched a three-run home run for his team-lead third big fly of the season to put the Saints up 12-2.

NEXT UP

Arroyo Seco is on the road Saturday to complete the two-game series against the Riptide. The Saints then stay on the road to play the San Diego Force on Sunday before returning home to Brookside to play the SoCal Catch on Tuesday.