On a "chamber of commerce" day at Pirate Park, the Ventura College baseball team put up a football score in their 17-7 win over visiting Los Angeles Valley. Jacob Harris finished a triple away from the cycle with four runs batted in, and AJ Medrano also had three hits, including a double, and three RBI to lead the way. Zane Chittenden recorded just one hit, but had five RBI with three sacrifice flies in the game. Jackson Hickert allowed one run on five hits, striking out seven over five innings of work to pick up the win for VC (22-14, 11-7).
Gabe Baldovino knocked out three base hits and scored four runs while TJ Foreman had two hits and a stolen base, scoring three runs with two RBI. On the day, the Pirates pounded out 19 hits against Monarch pitching, scoring a run in seven of eight innings at bat.
LAVC took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first inning before the Pirates answered with a pair of scores in the bottom half of the frame. Chittenden knocked in Baldovino with a sacrifice fly and Baylor Tovar had a two-out RBI single to score Medrano.
VC tacked on three more scores in the second on a two-RBI double by Medrano and another sacrifice fly from Chittenden. An Ethan Balolong double and a Harris home run led to two runs in the third inning and the Pirates led 7-1.
Ventura methodically scored two more runs in the fourth with a Baldovino walk, an RBI double from Chittenden, and an RBI single by Junior Sandoval.
If it wasn't already, the Pirates broke the game open in the fifth with four runs to hold a 13-1 advantage.Harris singled home Balolong before Foreman reached on an error and Baldovino had a single to load the bases. Medrano hit a shot that bounced off the pitcher's leg into shallow left field to score two runs, and Chittenden had another sacrifice fly for the fourth run of the frame.
Tovar led off the sixth inning with a single moving to second on a balk, and two outs later the Pirates rallied. Harris had an RBI double and Foreman followed with a single to score Harris. Baldovino singled and Medrano walked before Chittenden drew the bases loaded walk for another Pirate score.
After he Monarchs broke through with five runs in the top of the seventh, the Pirates closed out their scoring with another run in the bottom half of the inning. Foreman had an RBI single to score Balolong and VC led 17-6.
LAVC scored one more run in the top of the ninth to set the football-esque count at 17-7.
The Pirates will host Taft College on Saturday April 20 at 2:00 pm before resuming Western state Conference North Division play next week.