Saints erupt for 16 runs in comeback win over Bombers

PASADENA, CA — Three innings into Sunday's matchup with the San Diego Bombers (0-3), the Arroyo Seco Saints (2-1) seemed to be in for a long night. The Bombers had stormed out of the gates with four runs in the first inning, and a five-run third gave them a hefty 9-2 lead.

The Saints, however, had no intention of going down without a fight: The offense exploded for 14 unanswered runs down the stretch, erasing their early deficit and stunning San Diego. When the dust settled, Arroyo Seco emerged from Jackie Robinson Memorial Field with a 16-9 victory, earning its second comeback win in a row and first home win of the young season.

"[We didn't] give up. It's a long game, it's nine innings," Brayden Flores (Loyola Marymount) said in a postgame interview. "We just trusted the work we have been putting in all spring season … just stressing the work and not giving up."

The Saints' comeback began in the fourth inning, where they plated five runs to cut the Bombers' lead to two. They proceeded to take the lead in a six-run sixth, capped by a two-RBI single from Flores that put the score at 13-9.

Flores later provided some extra insurance with a two-run homer in the eighth — Arroyo Seco's first home run of the season — to finish the night with six RBIs. Through three games, his .600 batting average and eight RBIs both lead the Saints' roster.

Flores wasn't the only hot hitter, though: Every member of the lineup reached base at least once, totalling 13 hits and seven walks, and six different Saints drove in a run. Flores said the team is already getting along well despite having spent limited time together.

"Everyone respects each other. There's no one who thinks they're higher than anyone," Flores said. "Everyone treats each other like brothers already."

While the offense staged its comeback, Cash Carroll (Santa Barbara City College) dominated on the mound, throwing six scoreless innings in relief and racking up nine strikeouts. After starting his outing with four perfect frames, Carroll found himself in a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, but he managed to escape unscathed and ultimately finished the Bombers off in the ninth.

"Early on, we struggled throwing first-pitch strikes and getting ahead, so my mentality is just going out there and throwing strikes," Carroll said in a postgame interview. "Just gotta throw it in the zone and see what happens."

Carroll echoed Flores' thoughts on the team's camaraderie, saying it gets easier to give everything on the field "when you know who you're playing for."

The Saints will look to pick up their third straight win Tuesday, when they return to Jackie Robinson Memorial Field to face the Orange County Riptide (3-1). First pitch is scheduled for 5:35 p.m.

Contributors:

• Saints reporter: Bennett Christofferson
• Saints photographer: Dakota Gray