Ventura College starting pitcher Noah Proffitt pitched into the seventh inning, scattering seven hits and allowing two runs, one earned while striking out six Saturday afternoon at Cuesta College in an Luis Obispo. Unfortunately, the Pirate offense could not get anything going as VC took the hard-luck 2-1 loss to the Cougars. Hunter Klingelhoffer had a ninth-inning home run to spoil the shutout.
The Pirates threatened out of the gate. Tommy Gibbons-Matsuyama doubled to lead off the game, and advanced to third on a fly out, but VC could not bring him home. Ventura also had the lead-off man on base in the third and fourth innings, and put runners in scoring position in the fifth and seventh frames.
Cuesta took a 1-0 lead in the fifth, and scored an unearned run in the seventh.
Klingelhoffer helped VC avoid the shutout by hitting a one-out homer in the final frame.
Gabe Baldovino recorded two hits on the day for Ventura (5-8, 0-3) while Jacob Martinez and Elijah Maris also had hits for the Pirates.
Anthony Betancourt and Blake Campbell each pitched scoreless innings in relief.
The Pirates begin a three-game series with Oxnard Tuesday Feb. 25 at Pirate Park.