The Pirate baseball team found itself down 4-0 in the middle of the first, 5-1 an inning later, and 8-3 in the middle of the third, but responded by scoring 10 straight runs in their 14-9 comeback victory over Moorpark at Pirate Park Thursday. Taylor Campos was 2-3 with a walk, four RBI and a run scored as VC (4-9, 1-3) won for the third time in their last four outings. Billy Davidson picked up the win on the mound with three solid innings out of the bullpen.
Things did not look good for Ventura early as the Raiders plated four runs in the top of the first inning on four hits, a walk and an error. The Pirates were able to score in the bottom half of the inning, however. Brison Cronenbold walked to lead off, and after he moved to second on a ground out, Codi Santana singled to move Cronenbold to third. Tony Fonzo then flied out to right field for the sacrifice and the Pirates were on the board.
Moorpark scored again in the second on a lead-off home run, but pitcher Greg Minier was able to work his way out of a bases loaded jam without any further damage. in the bottom half of the inning, VC led off with consecutive hits by Bradley Fullerton, a double, Jordan Simon, a bunt single, and Ryan Coker. Although the next batter Vinny Avila grounded into a double play, Fullerton scored, then Cronenbold singled in Simon. Ventura trailed 5-3 after two innings.
Moorpark chased Minier in the third inning, scoring three more runs with two attributed to the Pirate starter. Davidson also gave up a run in the frame, but was able to shut down the raider bats from that point on.
Ventura then answered with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame on a two-out rally. A Robert Stephan walk began the rally followed by a single by Fullerton. Simon's RBI single scored Stephan and Coker followed with a two-RBI double.
With Davidson shutting down the Raiders from the mound, the Pirate offense responded by scoring in four of the next five innings. VC plated two in the fourth to tie the score, followed by another deuce in the fifth. They scored three in the seventh and answered a Moorpark run in the top of the eighth with their own score in the bottom half of the inning.
A pair of walks to Campos and Santana sandwiched around a Dylan Colman single loaded the bases for VC in the fourth. Fonzo then drew a walk to force in Campos, and Adam Maciel's sacrifice fly scored Coleman.
An inning later, a walk and a single with a throwing error set up a two-RBI single by Campos, scoring Marcus Betancourt and Coker for a 10-8 Pirate lead.
Coker walked to start the seventh inning for Ventura, and Betancourt reached on a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt. Campos grounded out to score Coker, and, following a Colman walk, Santana reached first on another Moorpark defensive miscue, scoring Betancourt and Colman.
The Pirates answered a Raider run in the eight by scoring one in the bottom half of the frame. Betancourt walked, stole second, and went to third on an error before scoring on a Campos single.
Alex Van Es gave up one run in three innings of work in relief of Davidson and Spencer Dubaich and Campos closed the door on the raiders in the ninth for the 14-9 win.
Ventura will host Los Angeles Pierce on Saturday Feb. 28. Game time at Pirate Park has been moved up to 11:00 am to beat a forecast rain event coming Saturday afternoon.