After scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning, the Pirate baseball team could not hold its early lead in falling 7-4 to College of the Canyons Tuesday afternoon at Pirate Park. Nick Schnopp, Casey Turturici and Ramon Torres all had two hits for the Pirates (3-7). JR Godinez, Reiss Calvin and Connor Vogel all had one hit and scored a run in the defeat.
Godinez got the Pirates off to a fast start with a lead-off single. Calvin followed with a double and moved to third on an error that scored Godinez. John Oleson then hit a sacrifice fly to center for the 2-0 Ventura lead.
The Cougars countered with a pair of scores in the top of the third and they took the lead with another run in the fourth inning. Canyons made it 5-2 by plating two more runs in the top of the sixth.
VC mounted a comeback try in the bottom of the seventh inning. KJ Moo-Young led off with a walk and moved forward 90 feet on a pair of ground ball outs, ending up at third base. Vogel then hit an RBI double, and moved to third on Turturici's single. After a pitching change, Gage Allen doubled home Vogel, but Turturici was thrown out at home attempting to score the game-tying run.
Canyons plated a pair of insurance runs, one in the eighth and another in the final frame to set the final 7-4 margin.
Jake Read had a solid start, throwing five complete while yielding three earned runs, limiting CoC to four hits while striking out four. Dawson Radik pitched a scoreless inning of relief with a pair of K's.
Ventura next hosts Riverside on Thursday Feb. 17 at 2:00 pm at Pirate Park.