The VC baseball team dropped a pair of games in a doubleheader at Riverside City College Saturday afternoon, 4-1 and 11-2. Grant Rodriguez had a pair of hits with a run batted in in the twin bill while Hector Pina also had two hits. Jacob Roa pitched six innings and gave up two earned runs in the opener taking the hard luck loss and Jacob Tostado yielded three earned runs over five frames in the nightcap.
Ventura 1, Riverside 4
In the opener, the Pirate batters were unable to muster any offense as they were limited to two hits in the game, Pina's second-inning single and Tostado's fifth inning single.
VC gave up two unearned runs in the second inning, and two earned runs in the third to fall behind 4-0. Starting pitcher Roa was able to keep the Tigers in check from that point, and Caden Stillwell came in to throw a pair of scoreless innings.
Ventura was able to plate a run in the top of the eighth on a pair of walks, a hit batsman and a groundout, but could not get any closer.
Pina's second-inning single and J. Tostado's fifth inning single were the Pirates only hits in the game.
Ventura 2, Riverside 11
The Pirates kept the nightcap close until the Tigers exploded for eight runs in the sixth inning.
After RCC scored twice in the bottom of the first, Ventura answered with a pair of scores in the next half-inning. Peter Dufau hit a lead-off home run to center field to pull the Pirates to within 2-1. Stillwell followed with a walk and Frederico Tiburtini was hit by a pitch. Riley Dalto reached base on a fielder's choice that moved Stillwell to third and Hunter Cervantes grounded out to third to knock in the run to even the score.
The Tigers scored one more run off Pirate starter J. Tostado in the bottom of the fifth before putting the game away in the sixth.
Rodriguez had a pair of hits in the game and Pina recorded a double.
Ventura next will travel to Citrus on Wednesday Feb. 12 before hosting El Camino on Feb. 13.