Saints fall to Waves in 2026 opener
Arroyo Seco heated up late but couldn’t overcome an early nine-run deficit.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 1 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 5 |
PASADENA, CA — Defensive miscues and inconsistent pitching proved costly Friday night for the Arroyo Seco Saints (0-1), who fell 12-7 to the San Diego Waves (1-3) in their season opener.
San Diego wasted no time getting on the board, tabbing Arroyo Seco starter Zachary Bender (Loyola Marymount) for four runs — albeit two unearned — in the first inning alone. After striking out two of his first three batters faced, Bender allowed three straight Waves to reach base, and back-to-back errors subsequently brought the score to 4-0.
Defense would be a consistent issue all night for the Saints, who ultimately totaled five errors and six wild pitches in the game.
The Saints turned to Samuel Rickman (Trinity) in the third inning, who held the San Diego offense to just one run across two frames; however, he struggled with command in the fifth, walking three batters and allowing four more runs as the Waves' lead ballooned to 9-0.
After mustering just one hit through the first four innings, Arroyo Seco finally made some noise in the bottom of the fifth. The Saints notched their first run of the season on an RBI single by Brayden Flores (Loyola Marymount), and Dylan Immel (Wagner) quickly followed suit with an RBI groundout.
The two squads proceeded to trade runs in the sixth, as a solo home run by San Diego shortstop Sam Tucci (Undecided) was quickly answered by an RBI double from Canon King (Transfer Portal).
While the Waves picked up two more runs in the eighth to put the game all but out of reach, the Saints didn't lie down easily, plating four runs in the bottom of the inning to inch closer at 12-7. Juan Pablo Manzo (Loyola Marymount) crushed a bases-clearing double and was promptly driven in by Flores, who earned his second RBI of the night on a single.
However, Arroyo Seco didn't have quite enough to pull off the miracle comeback, as San Diego pitcher Joshue Sayre (Undecided) shut the bats down in the ninth to secure the win for the Waves.
Despite the loss, there were plenty of bright spots for the Saints — particularly in the offense, which totaled 13 hits even after a slow start. King, Flores and Manzo all recorded multi-hit games, and the team as a whole struck out just seven times to San Diego's 12.
The Saints will get another chance to earn their first win of the season Saturday evening, when they travel to Compton to face the Academy Barons (1-0). First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
Contributors:
- Saints reporter: Bennett Christofferson
- Saints photographer: Dakota Gray