The Pirate baseball team score five runs in the top of the ninth inning Tuesday leading to an 8-5 victory over Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria. Nick Schnopp had a two-RBI double and JR Godinez hit a two-RBI single in VC's final at-bat to help secure the victory. Robby Keister pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth to pick up the win for Ventura (10-13, 5-5).
After the teams were scoreless through three innings of play, the Pirates scored twice in the top of the fourth. With one out, Andrew Savage was hit by a pitch and moved to second on Schnopp's single. The runners moved ahead 90 feet on an error before Julien Monks had an RBI single. After a walk by KJ Moo-Young, Godinez reached base on a fielder's choice that scored Schnopp.
Ventura scored another run in the top of the fifth as Ramon Torres, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the frame, scored on a wild pitch. Ventura held a 3-0 lead midway through the game.
Jake Read made the start on the mound for VC and pitched five solid innings, scattering four hits while not allowing a Bulldog score. Things turned on Read in the sixth, however, as he allowed two hits and four runs as Hancock netted five scores in the column for a two-run advantage.
The score remained until the Pirates came up for the final at-bat of the game. Casey Turturici had an infield single as did Torres. Savage singled to right to load the bases and Schnopp had the clutch two-RBI double to the gap in right-center to tie the game. After Monks was intentionally walked, Connor Vogel had a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to right field. Godinez then followed with a two-RBI single to set the final margin at 8-5.
Dawson Radik finished the sixth inning on the mound for VC while Timmy Adams and Sebastian Garcia each gave up one hit in scoreless relief.
Ventura will return home for the second game of the series against the Bulldogs on Thursday March 24. First pitch is set for 2:00 pm.