Saints fall to Oaks in back-and-forth thriller

PASADENA, CA — Sunday afternoon's matchup between the Arroyo Seco Saints (4-9) and Conejo Oaks (6-6) had it all: three ties, four lead changes and 19 total runs across nine wild innings of baseball. 

Unfortunately for Arroyo Seco, the one thing Sunday didn't have in store was a win. Despite leading to start the ninth inning, the Saints couldn't come out of Jackie Robinson Memorial Field on top, falling 10-9 to Conejo for their third straight loss.

The Oaks came out of the gates swinging, getting eight men on base and scoring three runs in the first two innings alone. However, Saints starter Colin Caycedo (Undecided) settled in down the stretch, retiring eight of his last nine batters faced to keep the game within reach.

Arroyo Seco didn't waste the opportunity, rallying to take the lead in the fourth inning. After Zach Leite (Old Dominion University) got the Saints on the board with an RBI double in the first, he replicated the same feat in the fourth; Canon King (UC San Diego) then launched a 427-foot home run — his second homer of the season — to put Arroyo Seco ahead, 4-3.

The two squads would continue trading runs for much of the night. Conejo retook the lead with two runs in the fifth, only for Sean Asperger (Undecided) to score on an error in the sixth, tying it back up. 

When the Oaks tried to put the game out of reach with three runs in the eighth, the Saints didn't back down, as Evan Reiter (Santa Ana College) and Camden Andrews (California Baptist University) drove in two runs apiece to go up 9-8. With a narrow lead entering the final inning, Arroyo Seco needed just three more outs to earn its biggest win of the season to date.

However, Conejo had one more rally up its sleeve, plating two in the top of the ninth to go in front for good. The Saints couldn't respond in the bottom of the frame, grounding into a double play to end the game.

Regardless of the final score, Arroyo Seco enjoyed one of its strongest offensive performances of the summer; every member of the lineup recorded at least one hit, combining for a season-high 14 hits overall.

Leite was unstoppable all night, reaching base in each of his five plate appearances, including two doubles and three walks. His two RBIs and two runs scored were both his most in a game with the Saints.

"I was just seeing the ball really well. It's nice to have a nice sunny day out here, so we're just seeing pitches well," Leite said in a postgame interview. "Got the results I wanted and put good swings on balls."

Dylan Immel (Undecided) and King were standouts as well, getting on base four times each. King seemed to scare the Oaks with his monster home run, as he was intentionally walked with runners on in both the seventh and eighth innings.

Despite Arroyo Seco's overall struggles on the mound, Hudson Carvalho (University of Oregon) was sharp in his first outing with the team, punching out two Conejo batters in a scoreless seventh inning.

After Sunday's loss, the Saints sit at just 4-9, good for sixth out of eight teams in the CCL South. However, with nearly two-thirds of the season left to play, Arroyo Seco is as eager as ever to get back in the win column.

"Just [need to] compete a little bit better," Leite said. "Just grind our teeth a little more, play harder, and we'll be all right."

The Saints will get their next chance for a win Tuesday night, when they host the San Diego Bombers (1-7) for the second time this season. First pitch is scheduled for 5:35 p.m.

Contributors:

• Saints reporter: Bennett Christofferson (USC)

• Saints photographer: Aaliyah Alamillo (University of La Verne)