After a 0-1 loss in the first game of the doubleheader, the Moorpark Raiders bounced back against Oxnard College on Saturday afternoon. Game two was quite the opposite of the low-scoring first game. The pitchers as a collective unit were showcased more to start.

The Raiders totaled eight runs on 11 hits in the last outing. Freshman pitcher Paden Riley had two RBIs during the second game of the day.

The first two innings were quiet in scoring with neither side adding in a run. Freshman pitcher Noah Balandran started the game and pitched more than four innings.

The Raiders’ bullpen had a couple of technical errors that included two runs being scored on balks.

The pitching unit closed well in the final four innings. They allowed just one hit and one run through that stretch.

The Oxnard Condors jumped out to a commanding advantage to open the score with three runs in the third inning. The Raiders rose to the occasion by one-upping their opponents and taking a 4-3 lead.

Freshman outfielder Dylan Leek leaped at the wall and snatched the live baseball out of thin air for a legendary two-run home run robbery. This memorable play nullified the Condors’ efforts to take the lead back in the fourth.

Leek spoke highly about the resiliency of the team and how the epic robbery was unique in his baseball career.

“We try to stay in the game each at bat at a time,” Leek said. “I’ve made some catches on deep balls like that, but none that were gonna go over.”

Oxnard later showed that they had plenty of scoring left in the tank with three straight runs to take the lead back at 6-4. The fifth inning was a head-scratcher for the Raiders with a controversial call at home plate and a score coming in off of a balk.

Freshman outfielder Spencer Perry had the most underrated play of the afternoon. He completed a diving catch at right field that prevented a Condor score and turned the tide in the Raiders’ favor.

Moorpark didn’t give up and kept their composure despite the back-and-forth scoring pace. Midway through the eighth inning, the Raiders started to create some monstrous momentum.

The home stadium roared the song “Under Pressure” by Queen as the Condors switched pitchers. The Raiders applied the pressure and tied the game up 7-7 heading into the final inning.

Sophomore pitcher DJ Vergini came up clutch with six outs to close the game, giving his team a great opportunity to get the victory.

Vergini was humbled by his stellar performance and takes pride in being a Moorpark Raider.

“It was a team effort all around. Even though we lost the first game, we’ll come back and get ready for Thursday,” Vergini said. “We’re playing what’s on the front, especially for the whole 805 out here.”

The Raider dugout expressed large amounts of encouragement for their hitters towards the end to keep rallying. They acknowledged that the pressure wasn’t on them, but rather their opponent.

The Condors’ closing pitcher Brandon Quirarte found himself in a less than ideal situation with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.

Freshman infielder Shane Leong-Grieger had laser focus at third base with two outs. A wild pitch was thrown and Leong-Grieger dashed to home plate to seal the victory in walk-off fashion. This marks the second walk-off win for the Raiders this season.

Head Coach Mario Porto believes the team has done well in facing the challenges of the pandemic this season.

“They’ve taken everything on. I’m very proud of how they’ve handled everything,” Porto said. “They are a special group of kids to take this on and deal with it.”

The Moorpark Raiders are now 4-2 on the season, having played all of their games at home. Look for them to continue their momentum and build off of their latest win.

They will play another home doubleheader against Ventura College starting at 12 p.m. on April 29.