Scoring runs was not a problem for the Pirate baseball team Thursday as they put up four touchdowns in taking two games from Antelope Valley, 14-11 and 14-3 in Lancaster. VC banged out 29 hits in the two games, led by John Oleson who had five hits while scoring five runs with three runs batted in on the day. Max Flame scattered eight hits over six innings, giving up three runs, two earned, with eight strikeouts to pick up the win in the nightcap.
Ventura 14, Antelope Valley 11
The Pirates got off to a strong start in Game 1, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. Chase McBean led off the inning by being hit by a pitch and JR Godinez followed with a double. Elijah Maris then singled in both runners. Two outs later back-to-back doubles by Oleson and Garrick Levesque gave the Pirates a substantial early lead.
The Marauders had an answer, however, as they plated seven runs in the bottom half of the inning, all with two outs, sending 12 batters to the plate.
Ventura scored once in the top of the second. Casey Turturici led off with a triple and scored on McBean's sacrifice fly to center field.
VC completed their comeback with a four-run third inning. With one out, Oleson singled and Levesque followed with a double. Ramon Torres then had two RBI with a single. One batter later McBean singled, moving Torres to third, then stole second. Godinez then batted in two more runs with a single for a 9-7 Pirate lead.
Antelope Valley kept pace in the bottom of the third, scoring three more runs for a 10-9 advantage.
The Pirates scored once in the fourth inning to tie the score. With one out, Max Baldaccini was hit by a pitch, and one out later Oleson singled. Levesque drew a base on balls to load the bases before Torres watch ball four to walk in a run.
Ventura took the lead for good with a pair of scores in the sixth frame. With two outs Oleson singled and Levesque was hit by a pitch. Oleson then stole third and Levesque moved ahead 90 feet, as well, before Torres singled in both runners.
AVC scored once in the bottom half of the inning before the Pirates gained a pair of insurance runs in the seventh. McBean singled and eventually scored on Maris' sacrifice fly, then Baldaccini and Anthony Chavez had back-to-back doubles with two outs to set the final score at 14-11.
Oscar Magana came on in the fourth inning on the mound for Ventura, pitching 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. Trevor Foster worked a third of an inning and picked up the win while Travis Nelson and Anthony Betancourt each had an inning of work late.
Ventura 14, Antelope Valley 3
The Pirates followed up their Game 1 win with another strong offensive showing in Game 2, beginning with a five-run second inning. Baldaccini led off with a walk and Chavez followed with a single, moving to second on the throw back to the infield. Oleson then had a two-RBI single and stole second before coming home on Levesque's double. Torres followed with an RBI triple and scored one out later on McBean's groundout to shortstop.
After AVC scored once in the bottom of the third, VC answered with a score in the top of the fourth. Torres had a one-out double, stole third, then scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-1 for the Pirates.
Antelope Valley closed the gap to 6-3 in the bottom of the fourth before Ventura broke the game open in the fifth with another five-run inning. Godinez led off with a double and moved to third on Baldaccini's single one out later. Chavez hit a sacrifice fly to center, followed by an Oleson walk. Levesque had two RBI on a single and Torres followed a pitching change with a walk. Turturici then doubled in two more runs for an 11-3 Ventura advantage.
Ventura scored one run in the sixth inning when Chavez doubled home Godinez. They added another two runs in the seventh. Noel Garcia scored on a balk and Hunter Klingelhoffer hit a sacrifice fly to score Isaiah Leon.
Flame picked up the win with a strong outing on the hill while Dawson Radik pitched a scoreless seventh in the run-rule victory.
Ventura closes the season by hosting Antelope Valley for a double-header on Saturday May 29.