The VC baseball team kept its post-season hopes alive Thursday with a 7-3 victory over Hancock in Santa Maria. Pirate ace Luca Staiano scattered four hits and yielded two runs while striking out four over seven complete innings of work. Bryce Elias had a solo home run among his three hits and he scored three runs to lead the offense and Mason Reid had three hits and a run batted in for the Pirates (18-18, 10-13).
With the victory, VC climbed back into a four-place tie with Moorpark in the Western State Conference North Division with one game remaining. The Pirates playoff hopes depend on wins at Los Angeles Pierce Friday and at Compton Saturday. Moorpark would also have to lose against Santa Barbara Friday to open the door to the possibility of post-season play for Ventura.
Elias got things started with his solo homer to lead off the top of the second. Haiden Letzing was hit by a pitch and, one out later, he moved to scoring position on a wild pitch. With two outs, Yuki Kawashima hit an RBI single to give VC a 2-0 advantage.
AHC came back with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth, but Ventura got it all back in the next frame. In the top of the fifth, Evan DeVally hit a two-out, bases-loaded single through the right side to score Dylan Jackson and Elias for the 4-2 lead.
VC added another score in the sixth. David King doubled to open the inning and Jackson drew a one-out walk on a wild pitch that moved King to third. Peter Dufau then beat out a possible double-play ball, reaching base on a fielder's choice that scored King.
Reid had an RBI single in the seventh that scored Letzing.
After a Bulldog run in the bottom of the eighth, Reid had an infield single to short in the ninth on which Elias scored after an error in the ninth to set the final margin.
Harrison Cordeiro came on to pitch in relief, throwing two innings to close the game for Ventura.
The Pirates close WSC play on Friday April 26 at Los Angeles Pierce in Woodland Hills. They finish the regular season on Saturday April 27 with a make-up game at Compton.