PASADENA- For the second consecutive night, the biggest hero for the Arroyo Seco Saints (14-10) was a guy asked to go above and beyond what his normal duties ask of him. Thursday night, that hero was Ryan Scott (Incarnate Word) who started at catcher despite that not being his natural position, and in addition to being a solid backstop all game long, picked up two huge RBIs including the game-winner in a 6-5 victory over the Ventura County Pirates.  

To begin the game, Brady Nelson (St. Cloud State) ran into some trouble in the first inning very similar to his most recent start at the MLB Academy Barons on July 3rd. Two singles in the first three batters made it 1-0 Pirates with only one out. Luckily though, Nelson was able to navigate his way out of the inning without any further trouble.  Scott, playing his first game behind the plate for the Saints after only one appearance as a backstop for Incarnate Word this season, helped Nelson by throwing a runner out and the righty got a strikeout in his own right.  

It was one in a series of impressive defensive plays behind the dish for Scott, made more impressive by the fact that he’s not typically behind the dish. Making those plays helped Scott to feel more relaxed at the somewhat unfamiliar position.  

“It felt like I knew what I was doing,” Scott said. “I was just going through the motions hopefully something good happened, and it did.” 

In the home half of the first, Josh Livingston (Wichita State) picked up right where he left off the game prior: getting big RBIs. Wednesday night’s walk-off hero opened the scoring for the Saints with an RBI double, which Joey Donnelly (Cal Berkeley) immediately followed up with an RBI single of his own. Just like that, the Saints took a 2-1 lead after only one inning.  

Nelson’s second inning was smoother, working around only one baserunner and surrendering no runs to keep the score 2-1. There was no movement on the offensive side either for the Saints, who still held a one-run lead at the start of the third.  

The Saints defense, which has been tightening up as of late, put together one of their best plays of the season in the top of the third. On a single into center field, a Pirates runner attempted to score from second and tie the game. But, a great throw from center fielder Crew McChesney (Brigham Young) to Scott, who laid down a perfect tag to nail the runner before he crossed the plate and preserve the 2-1 lead.  

Livingston crushed his second double of the game to the opposite field in the bottom of the third, but the Saints could not bring him in and the score didn’t change for the second inning in a row.  

The Pirates pushed a run across in the top the fourth after a leadoff double came home on back-to-back productive outs, making the score even at two after three and a half.   

The Saints were left to only wonder what could have been in the bottom of the fourth after a couple of would-be infield hits didn’t get called their way, effectively killing their rally and keeping the score 2-2.

Elijah Hernandez (Emporia State) came on in relief of Nelson in the top of the fifth and pitched a solid inning, inducing a double play and getting a strikeout while surrendering no runs. The Saints loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth with two out, but couldn’t push anyone across and the score remained 2-2.  

The Saints were subjected to an unfortunate familiar sight in the bottom of the sixth: another team’s player going where they couldn’t with a power hit. A long homer that soared out of the Saints’ cavernous left field that they haven’t conquered much themselves gave the Pirates a 3-2 lead and put the Saints on upset alert. The Saints couldn’t match that in the bottom of the sixth, their fifth straight scoreless inning against the Pirates pitching staff.  

It turned out the Pirates could though, in the top of the seventh, as they extended their lead to 4-2. Fortunately, Hernandez stranded the bases loaded to keep the Saints in the game.  

Even more fortunately, the Saints’ offense woke up in the bottom of the seventh. Donnelly’s second RBI, this time on a double and an RBI single from Scott tied the game up, and McChesney gave the Saints the lead with a sacrifice fly. Yet again, the Saints had Scott and McChesney, Arroyo Seco’s most clutch hitters as of late, to thank as they headed into the eighth with a 5-4 lead.  

Unfortunately, like other late leads for the Saints this week, it wouldn’t last long. The Pirates knotted the game up with a run on a passed ball in the top of the eighth, and it looked like the Saints may be headed for their third extra inning adventure in a row.  

But, perhaps motivated to end this one a little earlier and with a little less stress, the Saints got a rally going in the bottom of the eighth. A single by Cam Conley (Pepperdine) and a walk drawn by Livingston put runners on first and second for the Saints, but they also got two out without pushing either runner across. With two outs, up stepped Scott in another clutch situation.  

And like your favorite pizza place when you’re in a pinch, Scott reliably delivered once again. He crushed another single into left center field, scoring Conley and giving the Saints a 6-5 lead.  

Scott has been the most clutch hitter on the Saints as of late because he’s also likely been the most relaxed. After getting out of his early season struggles and beginning to catch fire offensively, he’s sustained his success because he’s not pressing himself.  

“[I’m] not caring about the outcome, just going out there and playing free,” Scott said. Having fun over everything has been key to his high level of play, it was fun for everyone to see his latest big moment Thursday night.  

Braydon Sanford (Oral Roberts) worked a clean ninth to seal the win for the Saints.  

Seemingly the hero of the night, Scott’s performance drew widespread praise from his teammates.  

“Catching is not easy, he definitely did a really good job back there,” Donnelly said.  

Scott just hopes he gets to catch again, because he had a blast doing it.  

“That was a lot of fun,” Scott said. “You don’t learn something just by doing it in practice, getting in the game and getting that experience is how you learn how to do something and work through the kinks so yeah, I really hope I’m back there again.” 

Scott and the Saints hope to have more fun tomorrow night in their first of two consecutive games against the Conejo Oaks, with this one coming at 6:05 pm right back at Jackie Robinson field.  

“That good team chemistry will take you a long way if you let it,” said Scott, keying in on vibes as always.  

And given how far good vibes have carried him recently, maybe that’s a good lesson for everyone, baseball player or not.  

Contributors:  

• Saints reporter Ethan Inman (Southern California)  

• Saints photographer Elijah Hickmann (Cal Baptist)