Sports Highlights: August 8-12
The Santa Barbara Foresters have put together four consecutive victories – including a pair of extra-inning affairs – to reach the winner’s bracket finals of the 78th National Baseball Congress World Series at Wichita, Kansas. They will face Missouri’s St. Joseph Mustangs at 5:30 p.m. PDT Tuesday, August 8.
Santa Barbara, which went 7-0 in winning last year’s NBC World Series, is working on an 11-game winning streak in the tournament. It has won 13 consecutive games this year since a July 19 defeat in San Luis Obispo.
The Foresters, 37-14, won their NBC opener over the Austin (Texas) Gold Sox, 2-1, in 10 innings. They scored two runs in the top of the ninth to defeat the Casa Grande (Arizona) Cotton Kings, 4-2. Then they outlasted the Hutchison (Kansas) Monarchs in 13 innings, 5-4. Their last game on Tuesday night, a 6-3 win over the Greeley (Colorado) Grays, was the only one that did not go down to the wire.
After tonight’s games in Wichita, six teams will remain in contention for the championship. There will be three playoff games Thursday, followed by semifinals Friday and finals Saturday.
At the Santa Barbara Polo Club, the finals of the Piaget Silver Cup will take place Sunday. Mansour, which lost to Grant’s Farm by a goal in the America Cup final, was the leading team in round-robin play entering the weekend.
SCHEDULE OF GAMES
Wednesday, August 8
Baseball – NBC World Series at Wichita, Kansas: Santa Barbara Foresters vs. St. Joseph (Missouri) Mustangs, 5:30 p.m. PDT.
Running / swimming – Nite Moves Summer Sunset Series (1k swim, 5k run), Leadbetter Beach, 6 p.m. Continues every Wednesday through August 29. runsantabarbara.com.
Thursday, August 9
Baseball – Santa Barbara Foresters at NBC World Series, Wichita, Kansas.
Swimming – Reef & Run Summer Swim Night (500m, 1k, 1-mile), East Beach Bath House, 5:30 p.m. Continues every Thursday through August 30. reefandrun.org .
Friday, August 10
Baseball – NBC World Series semifinals at Wichita, Kansas.
Saturday, August 11
Baseball – NBC World Series finals at Wichita, Kansas.
Sunday, August 12
Polo – USPA Piaget Silver Cup final at Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club, 1 p.m.
RUNNING, WALKING, CYCLING
Thursday, August 16 – Westmonster 5K cross country race, Westmont College, 6:15 p.m. westmont.edu.
Sunday, August 19 – McConnell’s Ice Cream Endurance Events (5K run, 10K run, children’s mile, mile swim, biathlon), Goleta Beach, 8:30 a.m. sbrunning.org.
Saturday, August 25 – Santa Barbara Triathlon, long course (1-mile swim/34-mile bike/10-mile run), East Beach Bathhouse, 7 a.m. sbtriathlon.com.
Sunday, August 26 – Santa Barbara Triathlon, sprint course (500-yard swim/6-mile bike/2-mile run), East Beach Bathhouse, 7 a.m. sbtriathlon.com.
Sunday, September 2 – Pier to Peak Half Marathon, Stearns Wharf to La Cumbre Peak, 6:30 a.m. runsantabarbara.com.
Saturday, November 10 – Select Staffing Santa Barbara International Marathon, Dos Pueblos High School to SBCC, 7:15 a.m. Half Marathon, Page Youth Center to SBCC, 7:45 a.m. sbimarathon.com.
Saturday, November 25 – Red Rock Marathon and 50-Mile Trail Run, Rancho Oso Guest Ranch, 6 a.m. allwedoisrun.com.