Foresters on Fire
S.B. Ballers Keep Rolling, Win 12-2 to Move on at NBC World Series
Wichita, Kansas For the second straight game, the Foresters wrapped things up early in an NBC World Series tournament game. When the score against the Plaza Tire Capahas (from lovely Cape Giradeau, Missouri) reached 12-2 in favor of Santa Barbara in the seventh, that was it, game over, thanks to the tournament’s 10-run deficit “mercy” rule. The Foresters now advance to the “Sweet Six” round and will face the undefeated Havasu Heat on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Santa Barbara time. (The game will be broadcast live on AM 1340.)
The Foresters kept up their recent scoring binge that has seen them rack up 43 runs in their last 30 innings. Rebel Ridling (pictured from a game earlier this season above), Steve Susdorf, and Dallas Poulk each had two RBIs in the game, which started with the Foresters scoring four in the first inning.
They never looked back, adding three in the fifth before Poulk’s “game-winning” two-run double in the bottom of the seventh flattened Plaza Tire for good. That was more than enough for pitcher Anthony Capra, who worked six scoreless innings and struck out eight. He is now second in the tournament with 17 total Ks.
Before the game, shortstop Dallas Poulk was awarded the tournament’s Eric Pintard Most Inspirational Player Award, named for manager Bill Pintard’s late son. Dallas won the honor for his work this summer with the Hugs for Cubs as well as for his generosity for giving up three of these tournament games with his team to return home to North Carolina to be with a friend facing cancer surgery. The Foresters as a team were also given the Team Sportsmanship Award for their character on and off the field.
