In the last two games, the Pirates baseball team has defeated Hancock with its last at-bat. Saturday in Santa Maria, VC built a big lead then held late in their 16-13 win over the Bulldogs to earn the series sweep. The Pirates led 16-5 at the seventh inning stretch before allowing eight Hancock runs over the final three frames to make things interesting.
Reiss Calvin had four hits, including a double, with four runs scored and JR Godinez had two singles and a double with two runs scored and three runs batted in to lead the attack for Ventura (12-13, 7-5).
Cooper Smith made the start on the hill for VC, pitching five complete innings while scattering nine hits and giving up five runs, four earned, with three strikeouts to pick up his first win of the season.
Robby Keister recorded K's for the final two outs to earn the save.
Ventura opened the game with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Casey Turturici had an RBI single to knock in Calvin, who reached base on a double, then Nick Schnopp singled home John Oleson, who made it to first when he was hit by a pitch.
The Bulldogs responded with two runs in the bottom half of the frame to even the score.
VC took control of the game with a five-run second. With one out Godinez had an infield hit and Calvin singled up the middle moving Godinez to third. The Pirates then pulled off the double steal with Calvin going to second and Godinez scoring on the play. Oleson followed with an RBI single to score Calvin prompting an early pitching change. Turturici followed by reaching base on an error and Schnopp's fly ball moved Oleson to third. Andrew Savage was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Ramon Torres drew a walk to score Oleson. Garrick Levesque then reached first on another Bulldog error scoring Turturici and VC held a 7-2 advantage.
Calvin reached base for the third straight inning on a one-out error and stole second before Turturici had a two-out RBI single.
AHC cut into the Pirate lead with a two-run bottom of the third before the Pirates were at it again in the next half inning.
After another Hancock pitching change, Savage was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a passed ball. Torres walked and one out later Julien Monks beat out the throw on an infield single to load the bases. Godinez delivered a clutch two-RBI double and Calvin followed with an RBI single. Godinez and Calvin pulled off another double steal, advancing 90 feet before Godinez scored on a wild pitch. Oleson then hit a sacrifice fly to score Calvin and Ventura moved the lead to 13-4.
Hancock managed another run in the bottom of the fourth to make it an eight-run game, 13-5.
The Pirates scored three more insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Schnopp was hit by a pitch and stole second. Savage grounded out to move Schnopp to third and Torres reached on a fielder's choice on which Schnopp was safe on a play at the plate. Levesque singled before Monks had an RBI single to center to score Torres. Godinez then followed with an RBI single to score Levesque and the VC lead was double-digits, 16-5.
Little did anyone realize that Ventura would need those insurance runs as Hancock scored one in the seventh, four in the eighth, and three in the ninth before Keister closed the door on the Bulldogs with a pair of strikeouts.
Levesque ended the game with three hits , two RBI and a run scored while Turturici was 2-5 with two runs batted in and a run scored. Monks had a pair of hits with a run scored and an RBI while Torres walked twice and scored twice.
Harun Pelja pitched a scoreless sixth for Ventura before the Hancock comeback bid.
Ventura will begin a three-game series against Los Angeles Pierce College at Pirate Park on Tuesday March 29. They will then be the "visiting" team in Ventura on Thursday March 31 before wrapping up the set with another home game on Saturday April 2.