JC baseball can sometimes be a little crazy, That certainly was the case Friday afternoon at Pirate Park when 26 batters came to the plate in the first inning-and-a-half with 12 runs crossing the plate. Visiting Bakersfield then jumped out to a 10-6 advantage in the fifth, and VC's comeback bid fell short in their 11-10 loss to the Renegades. Shortstop Ramon Torres had three runs batted in, as did third baseman Gage Allen to lead Ventura (3-5).
After yielding three runs on no hits and an error, the Pirates came back with a six-spot in the bottom half if the inning. JR Godinez and Reiss Calvin were both hit by pitches and John Oleson walked to load the bases. Casey Turturici was also hit by a pitch, forcing home a run. Two batters later, Nick Schnopp hit a sacrifice fly to rightfield. Ewan Ferguson followed with a base on balls to re-load the diamond and Torres drew a walk to force in the third run of the frame. After a pitching change, Allen cleared the bases with a triple up the hill in right-center and Ventura led 6-3 after one.
Unfortunately, the Renegades came back with three more runs in the top of the second to knot the score.
Bakersfield then broke the game open with four runs in the top of the fifth.
Ventura countered with a score in the bottom half of the inning. Connor Vogel hit a one-out double, and Torres followd a batter later with an RBI single.
BC scored an insurance run just before the seventh-inning stretch, one that would prove to be valuable before the afternoon was done.
in the bottom of the seventh, Turturici led off with a double, then moved to third when Vogel reached base on an error. Turturici scored on a wild pitch that moved Vogel up two bases, and two batters later, Torres hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Vogel from third.
Calvin tripled to lead off the eighth, and he came home on Oleson's sacrifice fly to pull VC to within 11-10. Vogel then hit a two-out double and Schnopp reached base on an error, but the Pirates stranded the tying and go-ahead runs on base.
Allen had a pair of hits for his three RBI and Calvin and Vogel each had two hits and two runs scored. Turturici finished 1-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Dawson Radik and Robby Keister each thre one inning of scoreless relief for Ventura.
The PIrates next travel to Santa Ana on Saturday Feb. 12 for a 12:00 pm game against the Dons.