VC Comes Back Twice, Walks Off Santa Barbara

The Ventura College baseball team separately erased a two-run and a three-run deficit to visiting Santa Barbara City College on Thursday as the Pirates completed their comeback with a 3-run ninth inning to walk off the Vaqueros' 8-7 at Pirate Park. TJ Foreman was 4-5 on the day with three runs batted in, including the game-winner, and a run scored while Ethan Balolong had a pair of hits, including a ninth-inning RBI single that led to him scoring the game-deciding run. Zach Rivera pitched a scoreless final frame to pick up the win for Ventura (15-11, 7-4).

Ventura jumped out to a 1-0 lead early. Foreman walked to open the bottom of the first inning and stole second base. AJ Medrano then doubled Foreman home for the early advantage.

SBCC answered with two runs in the second and another score in the third for a 3-1 margin.

The Pirates got one run back in the bottom of the fourth. Balolong had a 2-out single, and Riley Langerman singled one batter later. Foreman followed with an RBI single.

After SBCC score one more run in the top of the fifth, Ventura plated two scores in the bottom half of the inning to tie the score. Medrano opened the frame with a walk, and Zane Chittenden followed with a walk. One batter later, Baylor Tovar reached base on an error, scoring Medrano. Balolong then reached on a fielder's choice that scored Chittenden and the game was tied at 4-4.

SBCC re-captured the lead with a three run eight inning and VC scored once in the bottom half of the inning. Tovar singled and Jacob Harris drew a 2-out walk to set up Foreman's RBI single.

Trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the ninth, the Pirates staged a late rally to capture the game. Chittenden walked and was replaced by pinch runner Jacob Martinez. One out later Tovar singled, followed by a base hit by Balolong to score Martinez. Vito Ferrante produced a pinch hit single. and was replaced by Tommy Jamieson as a pinch runner. Harris then hit a sacrifice fly to score Tovar, and Foreman delivered the clutch 2-out single to score Balolong for the game-winner.

Jackson Hickert made the start for the Pirates, pitching seven innings, giving up four runs, two of them earned, with a pair of strikeouts. VC went through three pitchers in the eighth, which was closed out by Noah Bullard before Rivera came along in the ninth.

Ventura will attempt to take the season series form the Vaqueros on Friday March 29 at 1:00 pm.