The Pirate baseball team traveled to Moorpark on Saturday, coming home with a double-header sweep of the Raiders. In the opener, Joseph Wiersma pitched five innings of shutout ball, allowing just one hit while striking out four while Max Baldaccini had three runs batted in, including two on a double in VC's 5-run fifth inning in the 9-1 win. In the nightcap, Baldaccini provided the big bat once again with a grand slam home run in the 7-run second frame, leading Ventura to a 12-3 win.
Ventura 9, Moorpark 1
The Pirates used a three-run first inning and five-run fifth to coast to the 9-1 win in the opener. Wiersma had the Raiders on lock-down all day, allowing just one hit over five complete innings of work, recording four K's.
Ventura got on the board early, scoring three runs in their first at-bat. With one out, JR Godinez walked and Nick Schnopp doubled. Baldaccini followed with a sacrifice fly for the first run. Schnopp scored later in the inning on an error and Casey Turturici singled home John Oleson for the third run.
Elijah Maris manufactured a run in the fourth inning. He walked, stole second and third before coming home on a passed ball.
VC broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning. Turturici got things started as he was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame. He moved to third on Anthony Chavez's single. One out later Ramon Torres knocked in two runs with a single. Later in the frame, Schnopp singled to score Torres, and Baldaccini followed with a double to score both Godinez and Schnopp.
Josiah Blatt came in to pitch the final two innings for the Pirates, giving up one run and striking out two to set the final margin.
Schnopp had three hits, scored two runs, and had an RBI in the game while Baldaccini knocked in three runs.
Ventura 12, Moorpark 3
Ventura used a big inning once again to pull away from the hosts in the nightcap. Trailing 2-1, the Pirates scored seven runs in the second inning to post an 8-2 advantage, never looking back. Baldaccini provided the big hit at the plate for VC while the bullpen threw 7.2 scoreless innings to preserve the victory.
Maris opened the game on first after being hit by a pitch, and he proceeded to steal second. One out later he scored on Schnopp's groundout to shortstop for a 1-0 VC advantage.
The Raiders countered with two in the bottom half of the inning to take the 2-1 lead.
Then the fireworks happened for VC. Oleson led off the frame with another HBP and took second and third on wild pitches. Turturici walked before Chavez's groundout scored Oleson. Connor Laeng had an RBI single and one out later scored on Maris' single. After a pitching change Godinez and Schnopp both singled to load the bases before Baldaccini uncorked the grand slam home run.
The Raiders netted another score in the bottom of the second, but the VC bullpen came in and shut down the Raiders from that point on.
Ventura scored three in the fourth and one in the seventh to set the final 12-3 score.
Beginning with Dawson Radik in the second inning, the Pirate pen was flawless. Radik threw 2.2 innings followed by a scoreless frame from Anthony Betancourt who was credited with the win. That was followed by an inning each from Jonah Schaller, Trevor Foster, Oscar Magana and Robby Keister, all of whom kept the Raiders from crossing the plate.
Laeng was 3-5 on the day with one run scored and an RBI. Baldaccini had the big hit with four RBI and Maris scored three runs in the game. Schnopp was 2-4 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI.
Ventura continues through the Western State Conference with a home double-header match up with Allan Hancock College on Thursday May 6.