The Pirate baseball team ended the 2023 season with an 8-1 victory over LA Pierce Saturday at Pirate Park. Yuki Kawashima had three hits and scored two runs while Matthew Beach recorded three hits with a run scored and one run batted in. Reiss Calvin scored twice in hist home finale. Jared Hughes pitched five scoreless innings to pick up the win as Ventura maintains a glimmer of hope for a post-season berth finishing in fourth place in the Western State Conference North Division at 12-12 in league play.
For the second straight day, the Pirates started out with a run in the bottom of the first. Kawashima hit a one-out single, stole second, and went to third on a wild pitch. Mason Reid then hit an RBI double for the early 1-0 advantage.
Ventura followed with another score in the third inning. Calvin led off with a single and went to second on Kawashima's groundout to the first baseman. After stealing third, Calvin scored on a wild pitch.
VC then scored another run in the fourth. Beach led off with a base hit and went to second on a wild pitch. One out later, Gage ALlen reached first on an error and Beach came around to score for a 3-0 count.
Meanwhile, Hughes was dominant on the mound for the first five frames. He allowed two hits, both in the fourth, and struck out four Brahmas.
Pierce got one run back in the top of the sixth before the Pirates exploded for five runs in the bottom of the seventh. Calvin walked to lead things off, stealing second and moving to third on Kawashima's single. Kawashima then stole second before Reid hit a routine fly ball to left field that was dropped, scoring Calvin. Kawashima moved ahead 90 feet on a wild pitch before Reid stole second. Haiden Letzing followed with an RBI single, moving Reid to third. Andrew Savage hit a two-RBI triple and Beach singled home another run to set the final 8-1 margin.
Logan Knight pitched two hitless innings, yielding an unearned run, and Sebastian Garcia and Livio Bundi each threw scoreless frames to close the victory.
The Pirates have likely finished the 2023 campaign, but by finishing fourth in the conference, one game ahead of Moorpark, they provide hope for a playoff berth. The Southern California Regional Playoffs begin on Friday and Saturday May 5 and 6 with a best two-of-three series.