VC Drops Narrow Decision After Wild Ride

The Pirate baseball team gave up seven runs over a two inning span, then scored nine runs over two frames, but it was the four runs they yielded in the final two innings that made the difference in their 11-10 loss to Allan Hancock College Tuesday at Pirate Park. Shane Gipson was 2-4 on the afternoon, including a three-run home run, with four RBI and Steele Ledford knocked out three hits with two runs scored but it was not enough to push Ventura (11-12, 4-3) over the top in the wild game.

Pirate starter Noah Proffitt was sailing along through four innings ow work, allowing just two hits and three total baserunners. The Bulldogs took advantage of two hit batters and an error to plate five runs in the fifth inning, knocking the VC starter out of the game.

Ventura scored once in the bottom half of the frame with a double by Jacob Valdez followed by a single by TJ Foreman.

Hancock then scored two more runs in the sixth to hold a seemingly decisive 7-1 advantage.

Then, as they had so many times before this season, the Pirates began a rally. In the bottom of the sixth, Rudy Aguilar singled home Ledford, the Gipson delivered the big bat with a three-run bomb scoring Aguilar and Sam Langler.  VC narrowed the gap to 7-5.

In the seventh, Ventura continued the charge with five more runs to take the lead. The Pirates manufactured runs with a bases loaded single by Aguilar and a bases loaded walk by Darnell Prince. Then Fabian De La Barcena wa hit by a pitch, forcing in another run before Gipson singled to score two more, making the score 10-7 for Ventura.

Unfortunately, the wild ride continued as the Bulldogs plated two runs in the eighth, then two more in the ninth to defeat the Pirates 11-10.

THe Pirates will next host Santa Barbara on Friday March 23 at 2:30 pm before traveling to Hancock on Saturday March 24 for a 2:00 pm contest.