A five-run, first-inning doomed Porterville College as the Pirates suffered an 8-2 non-conference defeat to visiting Antelope Valley College on Tuesday. The loss dropped PC to 0-4 overall early in the season.
The Pirates managed just six hits in the contest and were held scoreless all the way until the bottom of the eighth inning. Eric Loredo's RBI ground out allowed Ryan Pearce to score and in the ninth, PC took advantage of an Antelope Valley error to tally its other run.
Alfredo Vasquez took the loss for Porterville after allowing seven runs and eight hits over four innings. He struck out two and walked one. Leonardo Gomez (2 inn.) and Luis Castillo (1 inn.) closed out the game with three shutout frames.
Pearce led the Pirates at the plate, going 2 for 4 with a triple and a run.
Porterville will look to snap its skid on Thursday (Feb. 1) at noon when the Pirates begin a four-game series at home against College of the Siskiyous. The squads will play a doubleheader on Friday, starting at 10 a.m. and close the series with the finale on Saturday at 11 a.m.
