Trailing 3-0, the Ventura College baseball team scored six runs in the bottom of the third and never looked back in their 8-5 victory over Pasadena City College Thursday afternoon at Pirate Park. Eight players scored a run, six players had a hit and Colton Follett managed five innings giving up three runs with three strike outs to pick up the win, the team's third straight victory.
The Lancers got on the board early, scoring a run in the first. They threatened in the second and crossed the plate two more times in the third to take a 3-0 advantage.
The Pirates came back with the big inning in the bottom half of the third. With one out, Vinny Avila was hit by a pitch and Robert Stephan followed with a single. Dylan Colman singled to score Avila, followed by a single by Santana to score Stephan. Tony Fonzo's single knocked in Colman, and after the second out, Bradley Fullerton singled to load the bases. Jordan Simon walked and Ryan Coker was hit by a pitch, scoring Santana and Fonzo, respectively, before a wild pitch by a new pitcher scored Fullerton for VC's sixth run of the frame.
A walk, an error and a wild pitch set up Ventura's next run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Coker walked, and went to second when Avila reached base on an error. The two advanced a base on a wild pitch, then Adam Maciel hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Coker.
The Pirates added an insurance run in the seventh when Simon singled in Michael Volaski, who had reached base after being hit by a pitch.
Pasadena scored a pair of runs in the eighth inning, but the relief combination of Jeff Schwartz, Alexander Torres and Alex Van Es were able to close out the Lancers to preserve the win.
Ventura will travel to El Camino-Compton Center on Saturday April 4 before resuming Western State Conference play on Tuesday April 7 against Moorpark at Pirate Park.