Blake Chiaramonte finished a triple away from the cycle with three hits, including the go-ahead home run in the top of the eighth inning as the Pirate baseball team defeated Los Angeles Pierce 3-2 Sunday afternoon in Woodland Hills. Jackson Hickert pitched two scoreless innings in relief for his first collegiate win and Taylor Campos earned his third save of the season with a goose-egg in the ninth for VC (13-8, 3-3).
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Elijah Alexander reached base to lead things off and Chiaramonte doubled to put runners on second and third. Brendan Griffith then singled in Alexander for the 1-0 advantage.
The Brahmas countered with a two-run sixth inning to take the lead, but VC was not done.
Chiaramonte had a two-run bomb to left field in the top of the eighth for the 3-2 lead, and the victory.
Dylan Francis started on the mound and went 5.1 innings allowing two runs on four hits. Kodi Koorndyk went ended the sixth inning out of the bullpen before Hickert took over in the seventh.
Ventura will return to conference play on Tuesday March 21 at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria before returning home against the Bulldogs on Thursday March 23.