VC Baseball Strikes Early, Rides Pitching to 5–1 Road Win at Moorpark
A five-run outburst in the second inning proved decisive as Ventura defeated host Moorpark 5-1 Saturday. Starter Will Kaczynski pitched four scoreless innings while Nate Lajole had two runs batted in and Matthew Ramirez knocked in a run with a double in the decisive frame. Alex Villacana and Nicholas Tostado followed with five solid innings out of the bullpen to preserve the Pirates' series sweep over the cross-county rivals.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
A five-run outburst in the second inning proved decisive as Ventura defeated host Moorpark 5-1 Saturday. Starter Will Kaczynski pitched four scoreless innings while Nate Lajole had two runs batted in and Matthew Ramirez knocked in a run with a double in the decisive frame. Alex Villacana and Nicholas Tostado followed with five solid innings out of the bullpen to preserve the Pirates' series sweep over the cross-county rivals.
Ventura sent nine batters to the plate in the second, stringing together timely hits to seize control early. Ramirez highlighted the frame with a run-scoring double, while Lajole drove in two runs and James Luderer added an RBI as the Pirates built a 5-0 cushion they would not relinquish. Ventura finished with four hits in the inning and took advantage of three walks to generate the big inning. The Pirates finished the game with eight total hits and drew eight walks from Moorpark pitching.
On the mound, Kaczynski set the tone with four scoreless innings. The right-hander scattered three hits, walked two and struck out two, keeping Moorpark off balance and allowing Ventura's offense to work with an early lead. VC's staff combined to hold the Raiders to one run on seven hits, issuing just two walks and striking out six while not allowing an error behind them.
Luderer and Ramirez anchored the Ventura lineup, each turning in multi-hit performances. Luderer went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, consistently applying pressure in the middle of the order. Ramirez finished 2-for-5, including his second-inning double, and drove in a run during the decisive rally. Lajole added a key hit as part of his two RBIs and also crossed the plate once, helping Ventura capitalize on Moorpark's early pitching struggles.
With their third straight conference win over the Raiders, Ventura (10-8, 5-1) secured its second straight WSC series and moved into first place early in the conference race. VC begins a three-game set with Cuesta at home on Tuesday Mar. 3.