The Pirates' baseball team and LA Pierce combined to score in 11 of the 18 half-innings Saturday in Woodland Hills with VC coming up on the short side of an 8-7 decision in the final meeting of their three-game set. There were three ties and a pair of lead changes in the contest in which seven Pirates had two hits each. Haiden Letzing was one with a pair of hits and he also knocked in a run while Mason Reid had two hits with two runs scored and an RBI. Yuki Kawashima and Omar Santamaria each doubled in the game.
Pierce took the early lead with a pair of scores in the bottom of the first inning. They added another run in the second for a 3-0 advantage.
Ventura responded with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. Reiss Calvin had a one-out single then moved from first to third on an error by the pitcher on a pick-off attempt. Connor Hickey followed with an RBI single, stole second, and moved to third on a passed ball. Mason Reid then grounded out to third, scoring Hickey.
The Pirates then tied the score with another run in the top of the fourth. Santamaria hit a two-out single and moved to second on an error. Gage Allen then hit an RBI single for the 3-3 tie.
The Brahmas answered in the bottom half of the frame, however, scoring once to retake the lead, 4-3.
VC took its first lead of the game with two runs in the next half-inning. Calvin led off with a single and, one out later, stole second and moved to third on an error. Reid then hit an infield single before Letzing singled to left field scoring Calvin. An error in the outfield also allowed Reid to score from first and Ventura took a 5-4 advantage.
LAPC knotted the score at five with a run in the bottom of the seventh.
Ventura had an answer, however, with a two-out rally in the top of the eight to jump back on top. Allen started things with a two-out single, coming around to score on Kawashima's RBI double.
The Pirates led 6-5before Pierce re-took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the eighth.
VC made one more charge in the ninth. Reid led off with a single and Letzing walked. Both runners moved forward 90 feet on a wild pitch and Andrew Savage drew a base on balls to load the bases with no outs. Pinch hitter Matthew Beach grounded out to shortstop, but a run scored and the Pirates still had two runners in scoring position with one down. Unfortunately, after an intentional walk to Santamaria, the next two Pirate batters struck out, stranding the bases loaded with a 7-7 tie.
The Brahmas then used a lead-off walk and a sacrifice bunt to lead to a walk-off RBI single and the 8-7 win over Ventura.
The Pirates (13-21, 8-10) now enter the stretch run of the season with single games against each of their Western State Conference opponents remaining. They next travel to Moorpark on Tuesday April 18 attempting to even the season series with the Raiders and pull even in the standings. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 pm.