Oaks' League Record Goes to 2-1

Oaks' League Record Goes to 2-1

By Micah Rodriguez

The Conejo Oaks dropped their first game of the season, 8–4 at Pirate Park against the Santa Barbara Foresters. Heading into the game, the Foresters boasted a league-leading 0.56 team ERA. The Santa Barbara staff continued their dominance, only allowing two earned runs, five hits, and striking out fifteen.

Rising redshirt junior Johnny Levelis made his first start of the season for the Oaks. Levelis is very used to taking the mound at Pirate Park; last season at Ventura College, the right-hander threw 51.2 innings to the tune of a 5.40 ERA. Against the Foresters, Levelis was solid in his three innings. Hailing from Newbury Park High School, Levelis allowed two hits, two walks, and three unearned runs while striking out three. 

The Oaks' offense struggled to get anything going against the Foresters' starter Hunter Vincent. The left-hander from Texas A&M went four innings, surrendering one run and three walks while racking up six strikeouts. 

The Oaks plated their first run in the bottom of the third inning. Out of the nine hole, shortstop Zachary Nagy ripped a leadoff double. Nagy advanced to third on a deep fly ball to right-center off the bat of second baseman Nate Lopez and came across to score on a wild pitch to make it a 3–1 game after three. 

The Foresters continued to add on after the Oaks clawed within two. Facing right-hander Kyle Zahn, who came on in relief of Levelis, Santa Barbara tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth to make it a 5–1 game. 

Zahn settled in and worked around a lead-off walk to work a scoreless fifth. Currently committed to Ventura College after spending his freshman season at California Lutheran University, Zahn's final line spanned two innings, giving up three hits and two runs (one earned), while punching out two. 

In relief of Martin, right-hander Caden Sramek worked the sixth and seventh innings. After allowing a two-run home run in the top of the sixth, the 6 '7' Sramek worked a clean seventh, shutting the Foresters down in order. 

In the top of the eighth, Landon Martin showcased his elite stuff in the back end of the bullpen. After striking out the leadoff batter, the California State Fullerton right-hander worked around a one-out double and walk to get a strikeout and induce a weak pop-up to get out of the inning. 

In the bottom half of the eighth, outfielder Luke Medhurst ripped a lead-off single up the middle, his second hit of the day; it was the third time the Oaks lead-off batter had reached. The following batter, Nagy, reached on an infield single to second and advanced to second on a throwing error to put two runners in scoring position with nobody out. 

Rolling the lineup over to the top, right fielder James Latshaw ripped a ground ball that was misplayed by the Foresters' second baseman to score two and make it a 7–3 game. 

First baseman Dylan Jackson and pinch-hitter Daniel Aguilera walked to load the bases. The Foresters called on right-hander Lucien Wechsberg to get out of the jam. With the bases loaded, Wechsberg struck out the first two batters. With two outs, left fielder Caden Stillwell ripped a backside single just past the diving second baseman to score Latshaw and cut the lead to three. Wechsberg struck out the next batter, and the Forsters maintained a 7–4 lead going into the ninth.

In the top of the ninth, Martin continued to show off his high-octane stuff. Working around an error and a double, Martin went on to strike out the side, only allowing one run on a passed ball. Martin punched out five Foresters in two innings. 

In total, the Oaks staff struck out 12 batters. 

The Oaks went down in order in the bottom of the ninth as they suffered their first defeat of the season, 8–4. The Oaks are now 2–1 on the year. 

Although dropping the game, Head Coach David Soliz liked the resolve he saw in the eighth inning.

"I really liked the fight," Soliz said. "It was a struggle at the plate today. But every at-bat is a new at-bat. Obviously you don't want to come out on the wrong side of the game. But it's going to happen. You're going to win. You're going to lose."

After getting the big hit in the bottom of the eleventh, courtesy of a Jackson walk-off two-run blast to best Academy Barons 5–4 in Sunday's contest, the Oaks weren't able to find one big swing today.

However, Soliz believed the team's approach did not change against the Foresters. 

"We put ourselves in position to get [the big hit]," Soliz said. "You stay consistent, sometimes you get the [big hit], and sometimes you don't."

The Oaks look to get back in the win column Thursday against the Philippines Baseball Group. First pitch is at 4 p.m.