It was a wild ride for the VC baseball tea,m Tuesday afternoon at Pirate Park. In a game that featured 22 runs, 23 hits and four lead changes, the Ventura College baseball team ultimately fell to visiting Oxnard 13-9. Zane Chittenden and Junior Sandoval each had three runs batted in and TJ Foreman had three hits and three runs scored in the contest for the Pirates (16-12, 8-5). Despite the loss, VC remains tied for first place in the Western State Conference North Division, two games ahead of third place.
After giving up two runs in the top of the first, VC came back with three in the bottom half of the inning. Foreman and Gabe Baldovino singled to lead off the game, and Sandoval had a bases-loaded single for an RBI. With two outs, Ethan Balolong had a two-RBI single for the 3-2 Ventura lead.
A foreman triple and a Baldovino single added another run in the second inning before Oxnard plated tree runs in the third to retake the lead.
In the bottom of the Foreman, led off and was hit by a pitch, then stole second. One out later, AJ Medrano was hit by a pitch. Medrano and foreman executed a double steal to move both runners into scoring position. Chittenden hit a sacrifice fly before Sandoval knocked out a two-run blast for a 7-6 Pirate advantage.
The Condors erupted for five runs n the top of the seventh inning on three hits for the fourth lead change of the game.
Ventura got two runs back in the bottom half of the frame. Riley Langerman, Jacob Harris and Foreman all singled to load the bases with no outs. After a pair of strikeouts, Chittenden came up with the clutch hit, a two-RBI single, to bring the Pirates back to within 10-9.
Oxnard, however, scored three more runs in the eighth inning to put the game away.
Pitching by committee, the Pirates received solid contributions from Sergio Linares and Sal Delgado. Christian Herrera also pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, but it was not enough for the Pirates on this day.
Ventura gets a second chance to take the season series from the Condors. The Pirates travel to Oxnard on Thursday April 4 for a 2:30 pm contest.