Another Late-Inning Rally Leads to Pirate Win

The VC baseball team was the "visitor" on Thursday at Pirate Park, as LA Pierce "hosted" the game two of the three-game set, but the results were familiar for Ventura. The Pirates rallied for seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings to post a come-from-behind 7-5 win over the Brahmas, VC's fifth straight triumph and their ninth win in the past 11 games. Casey Turturici provided a game-winning three-run home run in the top of the eighth to set the final margin.

Pierce took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, and expanded the edge with an unearned run in the third. They scored two more in the fifth to take a 5-0 advantage.

Ventura came back with three runs in the top of the seventh. Reiss Calvin led off with a solo home run, and John Oleson followed with a single. Turturici reached base on a fielder's choice and came around to score on Nick Schnopp's RBI triple. Andrew Savage then hit a ground ball out to the right side that allowed Schnopp to score and VC cut the deficit to two, 5-3.

In the eight inning, VC was able to complete the comeback.  Garrick Levesque led off with a single, and pinch runner KJ Moo-Young stole second one out later. JR Godinez drew a walk before Calvin singled to bring home Moo-Young. After a pitching change and a groundout, Turturici put Ventura ahead 7-5 with a three-run homer.

Max Flame started on the mound and pitched into the fourth, giving up three runs, two earned. Ryan Sweeney came on in the fifth and pitched 2.1 innings without yielding a run before Anthony Betancourt got two outs in the seventh to pick up the win. Timmy Adams pitched a scoreless eighth and Dawson Radik struck out two of three batters in the ninth for the save.

Ventura closes the three-game set with the Brahmas at home on Saturday April 2 at 12:00 pm.