The VC baseball team scored two runs in the last half of the ninth inning to tie the score, and scored another in the bottom of the 11th before falling to Santa Barbara 9-7 in 12 innings Saturday at Pirate Park. Casey Turturici homered and Ramon Torres drove in two runs to lead the effort for Ventura while JR Godinez, John Oleson and Julien Monks all recorded a pair of hits. Cooper Smith pitched seven strong innings in the start, giving up one earned run while striking out six.
After the Vaqueros scored a run in the top of the second, VC countered with a score in the bottom half of the frame. Torres reached base on an error that moved him to third before Andrew Savage also got on via a SBCC error to score an unearned run to knot the score.
Ventura used more free bases to score two runs in the third. Reiss Calvin led off with a walk followed by a single by Oleson. Turturici drew a base on balls to load the diamond and Torres followed with an RBI single. Savage then grounded into a double play that scored Oleson for a 3-1 Pirate advantage.
SBCC took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth with three unearned runs and Turturici's two-out solo home run in the bottom of the column tied the score at four.
Santa Barbara remained on the offensive with a two-run eight setting up VC's dramatic ninth-inning comeback.
Nick Schnopp and Godinez each singled to open the frame. Calvin reached first on an error before Oleson hit into a double play that scored Schnopp. Turturici drew an intentional walk before Torres singled home Godinez to send the game into extra innings.
After the Vaqueros scored a run in the top of the 11th, VC returned the favor with a score in the bottom half of the frame. Monks had an RBI single to score Torres to tie the contest at 7-7.
Santa Barbara then scored two runs in the top of the 12th to set the final margin.
VC opens a three-game set against Allan Hancock College Tuesday March 22 in Santa Maria.