PASADENA, CA — As sunlight fell over Jackie Robinson Field Friday night, the Arroyo Seco Saints (13-12) fell with it, losing to the San Diego Waves (16-15) 11-7. 

The Saints’ offense continued to roll, but the eight runs scored by the Waves in the first two innings were the main source of pain for Arroyo Seco. 

Maximo Newhart (Transfer Portal) took the mound first for the Saints, giving up the opening eight Waves runs. Two two-out, three-run home runs off the bat of Waves designated hitter Cole Snidow (Phoenix Community College) highlighted his side’s early-inning offensive showing. 

Arroyo Seco Head Coach Aaron Milam has been around the block in the California Collegiate League (CCL), and he knows better than anyone that a large deficit early on can be challenging to overcome. 

“In the month of July, and with a small roster, that is a tough deficit to overcome,” said the Saints skipper. “I think we battled from there [on out], but that is just too [deep] in the hole.” 

The Saints’ offense had a steep hill to climb for the remainder of Friday night’s game, but they did not shy away. The steady bat of Levi Maddela (Transfer Portal) accounted for his team’s only run in the bottom of the first, but chipping away at the lead was what Arroyo Seco needed to do if they wanted to win. 

As the innings progressed in Pasadena, Lane Haworth (Transfer Portal) and Joseph Estrada (Lewis-Clark State College) led the charge both at the plate and on the mound, respectively. 

Haworth tripled in the third inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly out, decreasing the Saints’ deficit to 8-2 after the first three innings of the game. 

Estrada tossed 4.1 innings of one-run baseball, allowing his lone earned run to cross the plate via a wild pitch. His four strikeouts and two hits neutralized the Waves’ hot bats, keeping his side in the game. 

Both teams remained dormant in the next couple of innings, but the sixth inning provided some scoring. After the Waves scored on a wild pitch, the newest Saint, Jackson Reed (Seattle University), tallied his first RBI base knock of the summer, making the score 9-4 after six. 

In the home half of the seventh, Haworth pounded a 388-foot solo shot to pull the Saints within four runs heading into the final two innings.  

Haworth has now hit home runs in back-to-back games and has cemented himself at the top of Arroyo Seco’s lineup. Eli Lopez used to be the Saints’ table-setter, but a non-contact injury has sidelined him for an extended period of time. Both Haworth and Coach Milam shared their comments about how various lineup changes have impacted the Saints’ offense as a whole. 

“Wherever you get put in [the batting order], it is still the same at-bat,” mentioned Haworth. “You have to go up [to the plate] and act like it is the same game. I have been [the] lead-off [hitter] this whole time ever since Eli got hurt, I have filled that role, and I try to get on base as much as possible.” 

“Having guys leave, it sucks,” Milam commented. “What [Jack Little] did, that is chicken s**t, that is the second time he has done that to me. He did that two years ago (leaving early); he told me he was not leaving early this year. I think his big-league dad is chicken s**t for letting him do that. [However], with Lane settling into his own, it makes the lineup more dangerous.” 

As the eighth inning progressed, the tide was beginning to turn in Arroyo Seco’s favor, but a two-out, two-run home run from Matthew Thomas (UC Berkeley) put the Waves’ lead back up to six runs as they led 11-5.  

Noah Williams’ (CSU Pueblo) two-RBI double in the home half of the eighth made the score 11-7 as Haworth stepped into the batter’s box, one double shy of the cycle. He smoked a line drive down the right field foul line, but it was snagged by Andreas Nilsen (Saddleback College), robbing Haworth of the cycle and putting an end to the Saints’ offensive effort. 

“I wish that line drive would have gotten through, I would have had the cycle,” said Haworth as he reminisced over his stellar offensive performance Friday night. “It was a good game.” 

The ninth inning was a quiet one as the score remained 11-7 in favor of the Waves when the game was all said and done. 

Overall, the Saints’ offense and bullpen had a strong showing Friday night, but the eight early runs tallied by the Waves made the hole too deep for Arroyo Seco to climb out of. 

With this win, San Diego wins the season series 2-1 over the Saints. 

Up next for the Saints is another home game at Jackie Robinson Field as they host the Conejo Oaks at 6:05 p.m. 

Contributors:

• Saints reporter Tyler Bowne (San Diego State)
• Saints photographer Bella Calagna (Trinity College)