The Ventura College baseball team split a pair of games against Oxnard College Friday at Pirate Park. VC dropped the opening 7-inning game 12-2 to the Condors before coming back in the nightcap to claim an 8-5 victory. Center fielder JR Godinez was one of four Pirates with two hits in the second game, along with Anthony Chavez, Elijah Maris and Ramon Torres. Robby Keister pitched five innings and gave up two runs to pick up the victory in the nightcap.
Ventura 2, Oxnard 12, 7 innings
In Game 1 of the double-header, the Pirates gave up a pair of big innings in their 12-2 setback. VC was limited to five singles in the seven-inning contest and Casey Turturici had the team's lone run batted in.
After the Condors scored once in the top of the first inning, VC came back with a run in the bottom half of the frame. Chase McBean led off the at-bat with a walk and stole second. Godinez then reached base on an error as McBean came around to score, tying the game at 1-1.
The game remained tied until the top of the fourth when Oxnard had a two-out rally, scoring five runs.
Ventura's answer resulted in one run in the bottom half of the inning. Chavez led off with a single and advanced 90-feet twice, on a wild pitch and passed ball, respectively. He then scored on Turturici's groundout to first.
Trailing 6-2, the Pirates gave up five more runs in the sixth inning, and another score in the seventh to set the final 12-2 margin.
Ventura 8, Oxnard 5
The Pirates came back for an 8-5 victory in Game 2 of the twin-bill. Chavez had a pair of doubles and scored a run while Godinez, Maris, and Torres also banged out two hits each. Maris scored twice with an RBI and Torres also crossed the plate two times. Godinez scored one run with an RBI and Chavez had one run batted in.
Oxnard took the early lead once again with a pair of runs in the second inning.
Ventura had an answer, however, scoring twice in the fourth. Godinez and Maris each singled, and Maris stole second to place two runners in scoring position. One out later, John Oleson grounded out to shortstop, scoring Godinez, and Chavez followed with an RBI double.
VC took control of the game with a four-run fifth inning. Torres led off with a single and Anthony Arancibia-Mundy sacrificed him to second. Torres moved to third on a wild pitch before scoring on McBean's single. McBean moved ahead 90 feet on another wild pitch, then scored on Maris' two-out single. Max Baldaccini followed with an RBI double, and he scored when Oleson reached base on an error.
The Pirates added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth inning. Torres led off with a single and advanced to third n Arancibia-Mundy's single. both runners moved forward 90 feet on a passed ball with Torres scoring, then Godinez had a two-out RBI single to make it 8-2.
The Condors plated tow runs in the seventh and scored another in the ninth, but the Pirates held on for the 8-5 victory.
Keister struck out six batters in his five innings of work, picking up the win. Anthony Betancourt pitched a perfect sixth inning while Dawson Radik, Trevor Foster and Travis Nelson worked the seventh. Josiah Blatt held the Condors off in the final two frames on the mound.
The Pirates head to the final week of the season with four games scheduled against Antelope Valley. They hit the road on Thursday May 27 for two before returning to Pirate Park for the season finale twin-bill on Saturday May 29.