The Pirate baseball team came up short Saturday afternoon in San Luis Obispo, falling 3-2 to Cuesta College. Charlie Brooks had five solid innings on the mound, giving up three runs on six hits with two strikeouts but was tagged with the loss. Andrew Nardi pitched three scoreless innings of relief. Kaden Betsch tripled and scored a run and T.J. Durfee doubled in a run and also scored. Rodolfo Aguilar had an RBI for the PIrates (12-8, 3-3) who managed just five hits on the day.
Ventura took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Betsch led off with a triple and Durfee followed with an RBI double. after a groundout advanced Durfee to third, Aguilar hit a ground ball out to bring him home.
The Cougars countered with two runs in the bottom half of the frame, and took a 3-2 edge in the bottom of the fifth.
VC had runners on second and third with two outs in the eighth inning, and another baserunner in the ninth, but could not plate the tying score.
Ventura will next travel to Los Angeles Pierce on Sunday March 19 for a 1:00 pm game.