Traveling to Oxnard to take on their rivals the Ventura College baseball team overcame a stiff wind for a 3-0 shut out win. Behind the arms of Ray Lambert and Adisson Pelupessy the Pirates held OC to eight hits and no runs for the win. Tony Fonzo provided the offensive firepower with four hits including a two run home run.
Ventura (14-10, 7-5) returned to Western State Conference North play to finish up their first trip through the rugged conference with a road trip to Oxnard. As the winds blew steadily straight in and gusted upwards of over 30 mph, Ventura was able to grit out an important conference win. Lambert earned his sixth win of the season going 7.2 innings allowing eight hits with five strikeouts and exited with runners on second and first in the eighth inning. Pelupessy came in and retired the first hitter he faced on one pitch with a lazy fly ball to centerfield. Then put the Condors down in order in the ninth on eight pitches for his fifth save of the season.
With the game tied 0-0 in the sixth inning, Robert Stephan lead the inning off with a hit by pitch and then Fonzo on a 2-1 count drove a fastball to the opposite field for a two run home run to put the Pirates up 2-0. It was Fonzo's fourth home run of the season. Then after a Brison Cronenbold bunt single a stolen base and a wild pitch Fonzo smoked a single up the middle for another RBI to score Cronenbold. Fonzo finished 4-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Cronenbold had one hit, a stolen base and a run scored. Pelupessy had a hit and a stolen base.
Ventura will now play their final twelve games of the season in WSC North play. They start the second trip through conference with a home game on Thursday Mar. 31 against Allan Hancock at 2:30 pm. Then they travel to Allan Hancock on Saturday Apr. 2 for a 1:00 pm game.