The Ventura College baseball team was tied with visiting Cuesta Monday evening 6-6 after 12 innings of play. The Pirates and Cougars will pick things up again before their final meeting of the season on April 18 in San Luis Obispo. Yuki Kawashima leads the Pirates with three hits and four runs batted in, including the game-tying RBI in the bottom of the ninth inning. (Game resumed on April 18, See Story...)
After Cuesta scored one run in the top of the second inning, the Pirates came back with two runs in the bottom half of the frame. Bryce Elias led off the inning with a double before Aaron McLeod and Henry Borjas were each hit by a pitch one out later. Kawashima followed with a single to knock in two runs and VC led the Cougars 2-1.
Ventura added two more runs in the bottom of the third. Elias hit a one-out single, as did Mason Reid. McLeod reached first base on an error that scored Elias and Borjas was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a pitching change, Kawashima grounded out to second to score another run for the 4-1 advantage.
Cuesta came back with a four-run sixth inning to take a 5-4 lead and they added another score in the eighth for a 6-4 count.
The Pirates came back with two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to force extra innings. Elias was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a wild pitch. One out later McLeod singled home Elias before stealing second base. After another out. Kawashima had the clutch RBI single to knock in McLeod and tie the score at 6-6.
The teams then combined for two total base runners in the first four extra frames, a two-out walk for Cuesta in the top of the 11th and a two-out single by VC's Jacob Tostado in the bottom of the 13th.
Elias had a pair of hits to this point for Ventura with three runs scored while McLeod scored twice. Peter Dufau also has a pair of singles in the game, as does Tostado.
Luca Staino made the start for Ventura, pitching six innings before Anthony Cuevas appears in relief in the seventh. Ryan Dexter pitched one scoreless frame and Harrison Cordeiro was working through three complete when play was suspended.
The Pirates next travel to Oxnard on Tuesday March 5 before hosting the Condors on Thursday March 7 at Pirate Park.