The skies cleared and the sun came out Saturday. It was a great day for baseball as the Pirates hosted Monterey Peninsula for a twin bill at Pirate Park. The Lobos took game one 9-3 before VC came back to post an 8-1 victory in the nightcap. Junior Sandoval paced the Ventura (5-3) at the plate with four hits on the day, including a 2-run home run in the second game. Steele Ledford and Gabe Baldovino each recorded three hits on the day as VC retained the "Battle of the Beach" traveling trophy for the annual series.
Ventura 3, Monterey Peninsula 9
TJ Foreman led VC with a 3-4 game with a runs scored and a run batted in. Ledford had a double with a run scored and AJ Medrano doubled with two RBI. Vito Ferrante scored the Pirates' other run as they dropped the opener of the double-header.
After giving up a run in the top of the first, VC came back with three scores in the third inning. Foreman singled with two on base to score Ferrante and Medrano doubled to knock in Ledford, who had reached base on catcher's interference, and Foreman for a 3-1 Pirate advantage.
MPC tied the game with two runs in th fifth, then plated single scores in the sixth and seventh for a 5-3 lead. the Lobos broke the game open with four runs in the top of the ninth inning.
Travis Weston started on the mound for the Pirates, pitching five complete innings, giving up three runs, all earned, with five strike outs. Brent Dickey yielded a pair of runs over two frames and Christian Herrera pitched a scoreless eighth before VC used three pitchers in the final inning.
Ventura 8, Monterey Peninsula 1
Sandoval and Baldovino each had three hits for VC in the nightcap. Sandoval had a double and a home run with three RBI and three runs scored while Baldovino knocked out two doubles with three runs scored and a pair of RBI. Sam Langler walked twice and scored two runs and Conor Mormon had an RBI double. Ledford added two hits and hit in one score and Foreman also added an extra base hit.
Ventura offered up another run to the Lobos i the top of the first before closing off the plate for the rest of the game.
In the second, Langler walked and scored on Baldovino's double. Then, Ledford had a two-out single to score Baldovino for a 2-1 Pirate edge.
VC added two more runs in the fourth with a Baldovino walk and Sandoval's blast over the fence.
The Pirates broke things pen with three runs in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out rally. After a ground out and a pop fly, Langler walked to get things started. Baldovino, Sandoval and Mormon followed with back-to-back-to-back doubles before Monterey was able to record the third out of the frame.
A Sandoval single in the seventh inning led to another run when Jacob Harris reached base on an error.
Jacob Martinez threw four complete innings in the start, giving up two hits and an unearned run while striking out four. Blake Campbell, Jeff Thoben and Sal Delgado combined for five hitless innings of work on the hill in relief.
Ventura travels to Los Angeles Pierce College on Thursday Feb. 21 before returning to Pirate Park on Friday Feb. 22 for a contest against Chaffey. Both games begin at 2:00 pm.