Ventura’s Late Rally Falls Short in 10-5 Loss to Cuesta

A four-run surge in the seventh inning brought Ventura back into striking distance, but an early deficit and Cuesta's 17-hit attack proved too much to overcome as the Pirates dropped a 10-5 decision Tuesday afternoon at Pirate Park. Matthew Ramirez recorded a pair of hits and Grant Rodriguez knocked in three runs to lead the Pirates. Brandon Contreras doubled and scored a run in the effort against the Cougars.

Cuesta built its decisive lead in the middle innings, scoring in six different frames and pushing across eight runs through the first seven innings. The Cougars struck for two runs in both the second and third innings, added single runs in the fourth and fifth, then created separation with a three-run sixth that pushed the margin to 8-1. An additional run in the seventh made it 9-1 before Ventura mounted its best offensive stretch of the day.

The Pirates cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the third when Hector Pina drove in a run to trim the deficit to 4-1. VC continued to traffic baserunners throughout the afternoon, finishing with nine hits and seven walks, but stranded nine runners. 

Ventura's biggest answer came in the bottom of the seventh. Trailing 9-1, the Pirates pieced together a four-run rally highlighted by Rodriguez, who laced a triple and drove in three runs in the inning to bring the score to 9-5. Rodriguez also came around to score on a wild pitch, providing a late spark that energized the Ventura dugout and brought the tying run closer to the on-deck circle before the inning ended.