Late Cuesta rally spoils Ventura comeback

The Pirate baseball team carried a three-run lead into the bottom of the ninth inning Friday, but Cuesta answered with four runs to walk off with a 10-9 victory in a back-and-forth game. James Luderer provided VC's biggest at-bat of the day with a grand slam home run in the top of the sixth inning. Lucas Martinov recorded a pair of hits, including a double, with one run batted in and two runs scored. 

The Pirates scored first but spent much of the afternoon fighting from behind before surging ahead late. VC opened the scoring with a run in the first inning, then erased a 4-1 deficit with a four-run sixth. The Cougars tied the game at 5-all in the bottom half of the frame before Ventura added another run in the seventh to move in front 6-5. The Pirates pushed across two more scores in the eighth and plated one in the top of the ninth for a 9-6 lead. Cuesta, though, delivered the decisive response in its final at-bat, scoring four times to end it.

Luderer provided Ventura's biggest swing, finishing with one hit in four at-bats, but it was a home run that accounted for four RBIs, while also scoring twice. Lucas Martinov added an efficient day at the plate, going 2 for 2 with two runs scored, one RBI and a sacrifice. Ventura finished with nine runs on eight hits, drew 14 walks and struck out only three times, but also left 10 runners on base.

Ventura next hosts Oxnard on Saturday Apr. 18 at 1:00 pm at Pirate Park.