Cheered on by a partisan visiting crowd, Oxnard College defeated Moorpark 6-4 in the second of a four game series in the Western State Conference North on a sunny, but cool March afternoon, at Raiders Stadium, Saturday.

Raiders’ second baseman Garrett Kueber was hit in the face by a pitch in the second inning, and dropped to the ground. After some minutes lying in a prone position, he was helped to his feet nursing a bloody nose and was helped from the field.

“The ball hit me right beside the nose,” said Kueber in the company of his concerned mother. His face was swollen and a bloody swab protruded from his left nostril. “I feel okay, but we’re going to [the hospital] for x-rays.”

The Raiders jumped out to an early lead, scoring two runs apiece in the first two innings. Oxnard’s pitching settled down after that and Moorpark was shut out the rest of the way.

“We’re great at good starts,” said Head Coach Mario Porto tongue-in-cheek. “The whole key was bad at-bats. It’s hard enough to hit the ball, let alone swinging at bad pitches.”

Kueber led off the first inning with a base hit to left. One out later, designated hitter Riley Conlan’s base hit was followed by first baseman Dalton Duarte’s single to left loading the bases.

“We came out hot in the beginning and played flat after that,” said Duarte who had two hits and an RBI. “We need to pick it up and start playing harder.”

Right fielder Jack Rosenberg’s RBI single to right drove home Moorpark’s first run. With the bases still loaded, Aucelluzzo worked a walk to force home the second.

“I was playing in because the guy didn’t look so big,” said Rosenberg about his terrific catch in centerfield in the seventh. “[Marc Hutchinson] got hold of one and put it in the gap. The wind kept the ball up for a long time, so I was able to run under it.”

With one on in Oxnard’s second inning, an error on catcher Logan Gillaspie’s ball hit to second put two runners on. Travis Hawkins’ bunt out put runners in scoring position, and Hutchinson’s double drove home the Condor’s first run. With the bases loaded, Tyson Quolas’ ground out to first forced home the second.

“I wish I had done better out there,” said Moorpark starter Zak Daniels 1-1 who pitched 6 1/3 innings and got the loss. “I need to attack the hitters and throw more strikes.”

Substitute Blake Chiaramonte ran for Kueber at first base in the second inning, and Moorpark added two runs. With two out and a runner at second, Conlan’s groundball on an error at third base scored the third run. Duarte’s RBI single to right delivered the Raiders’ fourth and final run.

“Today our bullpen was good,” said Pitching Coach Curtis Scott. “Kodi [Koorndyk] gave up a run and was around the plate. He hasn’t pitched much this year, but he came out and competed.”

In a death by a thousand cuts scenario, the Condor’s tore away at Moorpark’s 4-2 lead in the second by adding single runs in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings; including Codi Santana’s homerun in the third. Solid pitching by Oxnard starter Ryan Abraham and reliever Evan McMillan corralled the Raiders the rest of the way.

Moorpark takes on Hancock College, Tuesday starting at 2:30 p.m., and the return leg of the series will be at Raider Stadium, Thursday at 2:30 p.m.