Andrew Swenson slides in safely for a stolen base.

ARCATA -- The Humboldt Crabs have featured a flair for endgame dramatics this season.

But on Friday, the visiting Redding Colt .45s used stellar pitching for a 4-1 victory in the first of their four-game WCL Tri-State League series with the Crabs.

The Crabs entered the game with a robust .308 team batting average, but managed a total of three singles and mustered just one unearned run against three Redding pitchers.

Redding starter Richard Barrett allowed two hits and struck out eight in seven impressive innings, and kept the explosive Crabs offense from lighting up the ballyard.

”He's been our ace all year and he stepped up for us tonight,” said Redding manager Ryan Watson.

The right-hander displayed good movement on his off-speed pitches and fired four-seam fastballs that Humboldt hitters chased up in the zone. In addition to his eight Ks, Barrett induced eight ground-outs and five fly balls.

By the end of the sixth inning, the typically potent Crabs attack produced just three baserunners -- Jeff Giacomini's single in the second, and walks to Brandon Hayes and Nick Leid.

”It was a good start for him (Barrett),” said Crabs manager Matt Nutter. “They just didn't hit the ball well tonight.”

Crabs southpaw John Austin threw eight solid innings but suffered his first loss of the summer.

While Barrett looked dominant, his mates scored solo runs in second and third innings, both times after the Colt .45 leadoff batter reached base.

In the top of the second, Dustin Brooks singled to center, scampered to third on the first of two doubles by Ryan Cadaret, and scored on Andrew Swenson's single.

Then in the third, Alex Lyons singled to right, moved over to second on Kurt Lee's sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on Tony Bongiovanni's infield hit. With runners at the corners, Brooks beat the throw to first when the Crabs attempted a 6-4-3 doubleplay, which brought in Lyons from third for the 2-0 lead.

Humboldt got on the board after the seventh-inning stretch when, with one out, Tommy “Thundercat” Pavesi raced to second on Jake Gill's errant throw from third.

After a walk to Logan Lotti, Nick Leid rapped a single to left that knocked in Pavesi.

With two Crabs aboard, Barrett rose to the challenge, fanning J.J. Ethel and Isaac Vivas to end the threat.

Things heated up when Redding reliever Zach Biehl struck out Giacomini to end the eighth, and then gestured to the Crabs' cleanup man as he walked off the mound.

Cooler heads prevailed --momentarily -- until Humboldt reliever Tyler Graham plunked Brooks with the first pitch of the ninth inning.

The home plate umpire immediately ejected Graham, and then Nutter, who came on the field to stick up for his reliever.

Chris DeBoo came on and Gill greeted him with a RBI-double and two batters later, Swenson delivered his second RBI-single.

Corey Richardson came on in the ninth for Redding and, after walking two, earned the save when he got a 5-4-3 DP to end the game.