The Pirate baseball team dropped their second of five games this week, 5-4 to visiting Pasadena Tuesday at Pirate Park. After falling behind 4-0, Ventura (18-14, 8-7) almost completed the comeback, recording the final out with the tying run on base and the potential game winner at bat in the bottom of the ninth. Elijah Alexander went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored and Nick Bero was 2-3 with two runs scored. Taylor Campos doubled and drove in a run while Bryson Wallet homered for VC.
Austin Rubick pitched six innings, allowing five runs, three earned, on eight hits with eight strikeouts. David Hughes tossed a pair of scoreless innings in relief with two punch outs and Brent Dickey threw one scoreless frame.
Pasadena scored one run in the second and third innings, and plated two scores in the top of the fifth for a 4-0 advantage.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Ventura comeback began with a pair of scores. Bero walked to open the inning and advanced to second on an error, one out later, Alexander had an RBI single to score Bero. Campos then reached on an error, moving Alexander to second base. When Blake Chiaramonte followed with a fielder's choice and an out at second base, Alexander scored on another PCC error, making the score 4-2.
The Lancers scored a run in the top of the sixth inning, and Wallet countered with a home run to open the bottom half of the frame.
In the bottom of the ninth, Bero opened with a single, and after an out, Alexander singled moving Bero to third. Campos hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, closing the gap to 5-4, but VC could not tie the game.
Ventura will head to Riverside for a non-conference outing on Wednesday April 12 before hosting Taft College on Friday April 14.