The Pirate baseball team outsmarted the weather Saturday, playing at relatively dry Barstow, defeating the Vikings 8-6 on the power of home runs by Jacob Harris and AJ Medrano. Sam Langler and Junior Sandoval each had two hits and scored two runs, while TJ Foreman and Vito Ferrante each recorded two runs batted in for the Pirates (3-2) in the victory.
Ventura spotted Barstow a 2-0 lead with an error in the bottom of the first inning that led to a pair of Viking runs.
The score remained through three complete innings as Zach Rivera did not give up an earned run in his three innings of work in his first start of the season.
Barstow threatened in the fourth with a pair of lead-off walks, but Sergio Linares came on in relief to record three outs and leave two runners stranded.
In the top of the fourth, the Pirates staged a two-out rally. Sandoval doubled and Langler walked before Ferrante tied the score with a clutch two-out double.
VC took the lead in the fifth inning as Harris led off with an opposite field home run, his third round-tripper of the season.
Unfortunately, Barstow was able to tie the count in the bottom half of the frame with their own home run. After five complete, the Pirates and Vikings were knotted up 3-3.
The VC defense struggled in the bottom of the sixth inning, allowing a questionable hit and a stolen base, before the Vikings' runner advanced to third base on a sacrifice. A walk later, Barstow scored the go-ahead run on a balk. Despite a hit batsman, the Pirates escaped the frame without further damage and only trailed 4-3 headed to the seventh.
Ethan Balolong opened the Ventura seventh with a single before Harris was hit by a pitch. One out later, Gabe Baldovino moved the runners to second and third before Medrano's two-out long ball gave VC a 6-4 advantage at the seventh inning stretch.
The Vikings used a triple and a sacrifice fly to close the gap to one run in the bottom of the seventh, but VC answered with a two-run eighth. Sandoval earned a walk to lead things off and Langler followed with a single. Arman Muradian sacrificed the runners ahead a base, and after an out and a walk to Harris, Foreman followed with a two-out, two-RBI single.
Barstow finished with another run in the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Pirates were able to post the 8-6 victory.
Brent Dickey earned the win with two innings of relief on the mound and Christian Herrera picked up the save for VC.
The Pirates next head to Cerritos College on Tuesday Feb. 5. They follow that with a trip to Citrus College in Glendora on Friday Feb. 8.