Max Gutierrez pitched a strong seven innings, striking out four to lead the Ventura College baseball team past Moorpark 4-2 in a Western State Conference game Thursday.
The game became a pitching duel between Gutierrez and Moorpark’s relief pitcher David Goodenough, who came into the game in the 5th inning and didn’t giving up a run. Gutierrez was not to be outdone as he also pitched 7 scoreless innings until the Raiders bats came alive.
David Adler and Eric Blackwell led off the bottom of the 8th with two hits and forced Ventura coach Don Adams to change pitchers. Adams went with Steven De Fratus. The first batter he faced lined a base hit and scored Adler and advanced Blackwell to third. Next, Cody Holland hit a hard liner that got by the shortstop and an let Blackwell score. Coach Adams had enough and brought in his closer Phillip Hann.
Coach Mario Porto of Moorpark brought in a pinch runner for Konrad Thieme who was on second base. Mario Colletto hit another base hit to the outfield and as Sua was turning around third to score he trips and is tagged out a couple of feet away from home ending the inning.
Ventura College, who split the previous two games against Moorpark, began the game in grand fashion when left fielder Nick DiNapoli hit a solo home run against Moorpark’s starting pitcher Evan Bryan in the top of the 2nd to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead. DiNapoli has been a hot hitter of late hitting .482 with two home runs.
In the next inning, Ventura put two runners on and managed to score another run to give them a 2-0 lead. Moorpark had a hard time stringing hits together to pressure Ventura. The Pirates on the other hand did not, in the 4th inning they struck again. The inning began with DiNapoli gettingwalked. Next hitter Ryan Rodriguez bunted to get DiNapoli over to third and Tim Polacek, who walked as well, to second. Mike Ziemke hit a shot in the outfield to score DiNapoli and move Polacek to third. Tom Alexander came up next and hit a sacrifice fly and scored Polacek to make it a 4-0 game.
Ventura College is 9-4 in the WSC and will play Cuesta on Thursday.
The Pirates now lead the season series against Moorpark 3-1 and will play again on the 29th.
