THOUSAND OAKS, CA – The Arroyo Seco Saints (7-6) traveled to Thousand Oaks to face the Conejo Oaks (9-5) for the fourth time this season.  

Coming off a loss against the Oaks in their previous game, the Saints were hoping to avenge their defeat and redeem themselves against the Oaks squad. The Conejo Oaks have two wins over the Saints, while the Saints have one so far this season.  

Saints’ catcher Jonny Garber (Arizona State) shared how the team planned to approach this game based on their previous performances against the Oaks.  

“I approached [the game] one pitch at a time,” Garber said. “We were just trying to take it one step at a time.” 

The Saints had a few base hits to begin the top half of the first inning, but couldn’t get anyone across.  

Starting on the bump for the Saints was Tyler Herges (Azusa Pacific), who gave up three hits in the bottom half of the 1st inning. The Oaks’ first baseman Devon Wilkes (Cal State Bakersfield) kickstarted his team’s offense with a 2-run RBI single. Jax Gimenez (Oregon) kept the momentum rolling with an RBI single, tallying the score to 3-0 at the end of the 1st inning.  

Saints first baseman Jack Little (Baylor) shared his thoughts on the team’s attitude while being down in the early innings.  

“We just had to get back in there and get a little energy,” Little explained. “I feel like this team does a good job when we’re down, you can’t really tell, we keep the vibes high and just try to have as much fun as possible.” 

Herges fought back in the second with a quick 1-2-3 inning. The Saints’ offense attempted to retaliate against the Oaks in the second and third innings, but couldn’t get any runs on the board.  

In the bottom of the third, Zach Mora (Westmont College) reached second base off an error and Jacob Galloway (Texas A&M) followed with an RBI double to bring Mora in.  

Keon Moseni (Central Arkansas) had a base hit in the fourth and Garber delivered an RBI double to put the Saints on the board.  

The Oaks stayed in the lead by four runs through the top of the fifth until Little reached first on a base hit and then scored on a passed ball. Moseni added an RBI single to chip away at the Oaks’ lead even further.  

The Saints’ bats stayed hot in the sixth inning with a base hit from Joey Milto (Transfer Portal) and Lane Haworth (Wichita State) walked to get on base. Little delivered once again and put up a 2-run RBI single, tying the score at 5-5.  

Gimenez hit one out of the park for the Oaks, putting them in the lead heading into the seventh. The Saints’ offense stayed quiet in the seventh, but the Oaks were not done yet.  

With two runners on base, Ethan Gonzalez (Cal State Los Angeles) hit a two-run triple and then reached home on an error. The Oaks were in the lead 9-5 heading into the eighth.  

To retaliate, Trotter Enright (Long Beach State) had a two-RBI single, adding to the Saints’ seven total runs on the night.  

After a few frustrating innings for the Saints at the plate, Little and Haworth expressed a few words to the umpires which led to getting tossed from the game. Advocating for his players, Head Coach Aaron Milam got involved which also led to being ejected.  

Following a chaotic top of the ninth, Garber stayed focused and delivered a single. However, the game came to a close after other Saints’ hitters couldn’t push anyone across. The Oaks secured the victory over the Saints 10-7.  

On Friday night, the Saints will face the MLB Academy Barons for the second time this season at home. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. PST at Jackie Robinson Field.  

Contributors:

• Saints reporter Taylor Dowdy (Arizona)
• Edited by Saints reporter Tyler Bowne (San Diego State)
• Saints photographer Bella Calagna (Trinity College)