Ventura Defeats Moorpark in Extra's, Evens Season Series

The VC baseball team scored twice in the top of the 10th inning to post a 7-5 victory at Moorpark, evening the season series with the Raiders at 2-2. Andrew Savage hit a sacrifice fly to score Haiden Letzing and Gage Allen singled home Caden Stillwell in the extra frame for the winning margin and Sebastian Garcia recorded the final out for the save. Stillwell totaled three hits in the contest while Connor Hickey and Mason Reid each had two runs batted in. Hunter Jones made the start giving up four runs, two earned through eight innings.

Moorpark plated two runs in each of the first two innings, one earned in each frame. After that, Jones settled down to scatter three hits over his final six innings of work.

Ventura (14-21, 9-10) began their comeback with a single run in the fourth. Reid hit a one-out triple, then scored when Letzing grounded out to shortstop.

The Pirates then came all the way back and took the lead with a four-spot in the top of the seventh with a two out rally. Allen walked after the Raiders turned a double play and Yuki Kawashima singled.  Reiss Calvin reached base on an error to load the bases and Hickey doubled, scoring two. Reid followed with a two-RBI single for the 5-4 margin.

Unfortunately, two walks sandwiched around a single led to a Moorpark squeeze play and a run in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings.

VC responded positively in the 10th, however, plating the game-winning runs. Letzing led off with a single and moved to second, then third, on wild pitches. Savage lined out to center field, scoring Letzing and giving Ventura the lead with one out. Stillwell followed with a single and pinch hitter Matthew Beach reached first on catcher's interference. Allen followed with an RBI single to set the final count at 7-5.

Ventura next hosts Cuesta on Thursday April 20. Game time is 2:30 pm at Pirate Park.