Pirate Baseball Drops WSC Opener

The VC baseball team dropped its Western State Conference opener Tuesday 12-6 against Cuesta College at Pirate Park. Ventura held a 2-0 lead after three innings, but a four-run fourth by the Cougars turned the tables. John Oleson was 2-4 for the Pirates with a home run and three runs batted in and Casey Turturici also went yard with a pair of RBI. Reiss Calvin scored two runs in the game.

The Pirates took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning. JR Godinez reached base and advanced to third base on an error and scored on Calvin's groundout for a 1-0 advantage.

In the third inning, Calvin reached base on a fielder's choice, then scored on Oleson's RBI single as VC led 2-0.

The Cougars totaled one hit through the first three frames before scoring four runs on four hits in the top of the fourth. They scored one more run in the top fo the fifth for a 5-2 margin.

Ventura closed the gap in the bottom of the sixth inning on Oleson's solo home run, but they still trailed 5-3.

Cuesta then broke the game open with a six-run seventh inning and led 11-3 before VC countered with three runs in the bottom half of the frame.

KJ Moo-Young singled and Calvin doubled to lead off the inning, and Oleson's groundout scored a run. Turturici followed with a two-run shot, but Ventura could not find more offense to mount a comeback.

Cuesta plated another score in the eighth to set the final 12-6 margin.

Jake Read go the start on the mound for VC, pitching into the fifth inning and giving up five runs. Hunter Jones pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relied and Lucas Wilkins also threw one inning of scoreless relief out of the bull pen.

Ventura continues the three game set on Thursday Feb. 24 in San Luis Obispo before coming home to face the COugars on Saturday Feb. 26.