A pitchers' duel turned into a slugfest Friday at Pirate Park as Ventura rallied to defeat Cuesta 10-9. Sixteen of the game's 19 runs were scored from the sixth inning on with the Pirates plating eight scores in the seventh leading to the win. Frederico Tiburtini was 3-4 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored while Caden Stillwell and Tommy Castaneda each recorded two RBI. Zack Serup had a solid start on the mound pitching into the sixth inning, giving up four runs, three earned, on six hits with six strikeouts.
Ventura gave up one run in the top of the first, and two more in the fifth, one earned. Serup continued his strong outing into the sixth, recording two more outs until giving up three straight hits and another score before heading to the dugout with VC down 4-0.
The Pirate offense woke up in the bottom of the sixth scoring a pair of runs. Grant Rodriguez and Stillwell were each hit by a pitch to open the frame and Daniel Aguilera followed with a single to load the bases. After a pitching change, the Cougars recorded two outs before Castaneda knocked in two runs with a single to cut Cuesta's lead in half.
The Cougars responded with four runs in the top of the seventh to hold an 8-2 advantage. Then things got interesting.
VC sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, scoring eight runs on seven hits. Henry Borjas opened the rally with a single and Matthew Ramirez was hit by a pitch. Rodriguez followed with another single to load fill the diamond leading to a change on the mound. Aguilera singled in a run and Tiburtini also knocked in a score with a single,and an error led to another run on the play. Cuesta's second pitching change of the inning preceded a fly out before Jacob Tostado singled home another run. Borjas was hit by a pitch and Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly for a 10-8 Pirate margin.
After a scoreless eighth, Cuesta managed a run in the ninth to close the gap, but Tostado was able to close the Cougars out with his six-out save.
Ventura will close out the three-game set with Cuesta on the road Saturday Mar. 8 in San Luis Obispo.