The Pirate baseball team won its 10th game in 11 outings on Thursday with a 12-9 victory at Los Angeles Harbor College in Wilmington. Ramon Torres was 3-5 with a double, two runs scored and a run batted in, and Nick Schnopp and Julien Monks each hit home runs to propel VC (19-14, 12-6). Andrew Savage and KJ Moo-Young also belted out three hits each while Dawson Radik picked up the win on the mound and Ryan Sweeney earned the save.
The contest was a back-and-forth affair with four lead changes and three ties over the nine innings.
Ventura got on the board first with three scores in the top of the second. Savage and Torres produced back-to-back doubles before Monks blasted a two-run home run for a 3-0 VC lead.
The Seahawks came back in the bottom half of the frame, however, and tied the game at three.
Harbor produced the first lead change of the day wit hthree more runs in the bottom of the third before the Pirates scored twice in the top of the fourth.
Moo-Young singled, and moved to second when JR Godinez walked. Reiss Calvin reached base on a fielder's choice that retired Godinez at second, and John Oleson was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. Casey Turturici then came up with a clutch two-RBI double to pull VC back to within one, 6-5.
The Pirates regained the lead with two more runs in the top of the fifth. Savage singled and Torres walked to force a Harbor pitching change. Monks walked to load the bases before Moo-Young grounded into a double-play that scored Savage. Godinez then walked and Calvin hit an RBI single to right to score Torres.
LAHC then returned the favor in the bottom of the fifth, scoring twice to retake the lead, 8-7.
VC tied the game with one run in the top of the sixth when Torres reached base on an error that scored Schnopp.
The Pirates took a 9-8 advantage in the top of the seventh in wild fashion. Godinez led off with a walk, then moved around the diamond on three different wild pitches. Harbor tied the game once again with a run in the bottom half of the seventh.
Ventura went ahead for good in the top of the eighth with a two-out rally. Monks walked and Moo-Young followed with a single. Godinez then hit an RBI single for the 10-9 VC edge.
VC plated a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Turturici hit a one-out single and Schnopp followed with a two-run blast to center field to set the final 12-9 margin.
Ventura next heads to Mt. San Antonio on Saturday April 16 for a 6:00 pm game with the Mounties under the lights.