For the second time this season, the Pirate baseball team gave up a late lead to visiting Moorpark, falling 6-5 in 12 innings Tuesday afternoon at Pirate Park. Ventura allowed two runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game at 5-5 before allowing an unearned run in the 12th for the loss. Blake Chiaramonte had two doubles and scored twice for VC (17-11, 7-6) and Bryson Wallet had two hits, two walks and an RBI. Nick Bero added a pair of hits including a double.
Austin Rubick started and threw five complete innings, allowing three runs on five hits. He recorded eight strikeouts. Jackson Hickert threw 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, and Taylor Campos went four innings out of the bullpen before allowing the unearned run in the 12th inning to the Raiders.
Ventura took an early 3-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Rodolfo Aguilar drew a one-out walk, and Chiaramonte was hit by a pitch. Brendan Griffith singled to load the bases, and Wallet walked to force in the Pirates' first run. Elijah Alexander followed with a two-RBI single and VC held a 3-0 advantage.
Moorpark closed with single runs in the third and fourth innings, but the Pirates countered with a score in the bottom of the fourth frame. Nick Bero singled to open the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Brett Steinberger sacrificed Bero to third, and Chris McKee picked up the RBI with a sacrifice fly to right field.
Following another Raider score in the top of the fifth, VC responded in kind in the bottom half of the inning. Chiaramonte doubled to lead things off, and advanced to third on Griffith's fly ball to right field. Chiaramonte then scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-3 for Ventura after five innings.
The Raiders picked up two runs in the seventh to tie things up, sending the game into extra innings.
Ventura had runners in scoring position in the eighth, ninth and 12th innings, but could not plate the game winning or game tying run in falling 6-5 to Moorpark.
VC hopes for a season series split at Moorpark on Thursday April 6. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 pm. Ventura returns home on Friday April 7 against Cuesta, also at 2:30 pm. Friday's game can be seen live on the VC Sports Network.