The Ventura College baseball team had its four game winning streak come to an end Saturday with a 7-3 defeat at Moorpark College. Gabe Baldovino was 4-4 in the game, including a double and a triple, with a run scored while Zane Chittenden and Junior Sandoval each had two hits. Ventura (12-9, 4-2) falls into a second place tie with Allan Hancock College in the Western State Conference race, one half game behind the Raiders.
Ventura faced an uphill battle early as they yielded five runs in the bottom of the first inning. MC scored one more in the second for a 6-0 Pirate deficit.
During the top of the fourth, VC got one run back. Chittenden had a 2-out single and Sandoval reached base on an error that brought Chittenden all the way home to score.
Moorpark got the run back in the bottom of the fifth inning before VC plated another run in the seventh. Baylor Tovar began the frame with a walk, then stole second. Ethan Balolong knocked out a single to score Tovar for a 7-2 margin.
In the eight inning, Ventura attempted to rally to close the gap. Baldovino and Chittenden each hit doubles, one out apart, to make it 7-3, and Sandoval hit a single to put runners on the corners. Sandoval was then caught stealing for out number two, followed by a strikeout to end the rally.
Ventura was held scoreless through the ninth to post the 7-3 defeat.
Chittenden took the loss as the starting pitcher, tossing three complete innings. The Pirate bullpen combined for five innings, allowing just one run to keep VC in the game.
Ventura next hosts Cuesta on Tuesday March 19. First pitch is slated for 2:30 pm at Pirate Park.