By: Jack Grimse
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. –
Friday night was the third SCCBL meeting of the season between the Palm Springs POWER and Orange County Riptide, and for the first time, the POWER were defeated by the Riptide, losing 12-10.
Both starting pitchers were at the top of their game. POWER hurler Angel Delgado by retired the first eight batters, and Riptide lefty Justin Seiwald didn’t allow a run until the third inning. Dylan Garcia laced a fastball to center that plated Ryan Raslowsky.
It didn’t take long for the Riptide to answer. Catcher Jake Druce blasted a double to the gap in left-center field that drove in Caleb Henderson and Andris Rizquez to put Orange County on top.
Able to tie the game back up in the next half of the inning were the POWER. Knocking a base hit back up the middle was Raslowsky, and Cody Gaertner came around to score. The POWER would load the bases up for three-hitter Miles Bice. The designated hitter Bice was hit by a pitch to force in a run, and it gave the lead back to the POWER.
Continuing the one-out rally was Connor Hornsby. His single through the hole on the right side drove in Raslowsky and Kobie Foppe, increasing the lead to 5-2. Garcia joined in on the hit parade, taking a pitch the other way into left field that scored Bice.
Delgado would leave the ballgame in the top of the sixth, as the seesaw affair continued. Five of the first six Riptide hitters singled, as they scored four runs to knot it up at six. Matt Valencia entered in relief of Delgado, retiring two straight hitters to end the threat and strand a man at second. The highlight of Valencia’s night was striking out Zach McLeod, as it was the fourth time the Riptide shortstop had whiffed, earning him the golden sombrero.
Regaining the lead in the bottom of the inning were the POWER, with a Raslowsky RBI single that made it 7-6.
He was good for the most part, however, working into the eighth inning proved too much for Valencia. Three straight Riptide singles meant Jordan Cavazos had to come in to relieve the lefty after the game was tied up at seven.
Cavazos had a rough go of it, as the relentless hitting by the Riptide continued. They scored four in the eighth, taking a 10-7 lead.
Just as we had seen all night, when one team scored it was answered instantly. Raslowsky reached for the fifth time of the day with a double, scoring on a single by Hornsby. Garcia’s third hit was the biggest of the evening, a double to the wall that drove in two to tie it up again, this time at 10.
More fireworks were seen in the ninth, as the Riptide took a 12-10 lead. Brandon Munoz scored on a Cole Gray double, and Gray came around on JJ Carr’s single, the 17th hit of the game for the Riptide.
Starting the home half of the ninth with a single up the middle was Daniel Sander. But it wasn’t meant to be for the POWER, as Riptide closer Niko Castaneda retired the next three batters consecutively to pick up the win.
Game two is tomorrow night at 7:05 at Palm Springs Stadium, as the POWER go for the split. Kids 12 and under get in for just $2, presented by Desert Air.
