Bulldogs Fall 7-3 at Home to Ventura

A four-run first inning by Ventura was too much for the Bulldogs to overcome as the Allan Hancock College baseball team fell 7-3 at home to Ventura in a Western State Conference game on Tuesday.

Hancock, which is ranked ninth in the Southern California Regional Poll, dropped to 5-5 in conference action and 15-8-1 overall. Ventura forced a split in the home and away series to improve to 4-6 in WSC games and 8-14 overall.

The Bulldogs out-hit the Pirates 11 to 4, but could not get the base hits with runners on base and stranded 11 men.  Cameron Ketchen led the Bulldogs with a 3 for 4 effort with a pair doubles and one RBI. Angel Guillen , a Pioneer Valley High School graduate and freshman infiedler, continued to produce for the Bulldogs with a 3 for 4 effort, including a RBI-double.  Ryan Welker added a 2 for 4 effort with one run and a walk.

Ventura scored four runs in the top of the first against Hancock starter Nathan Thompson. The left-hander beaned and walked the first two hitters of the game. Tyler Watson followed with a RBI-single and Harrison Crawford added a two-run double to make it 3-0 just four batters into the game. Thompson, a sophomore, settled down from there. The Santa Ynez High School graduate allowed 4 runs and 3 hits in 6 innings. He suffered his first loss of the season and dropped to 5-1 after he walked two, hit two batters and struck out three. Freshman Jesse Posey allowed three runs in the seventh inning as Ventura built a 7-1 lead.

Hancock scored its first run of the game in the sixth inning when Roger Guillen singled home Ketchen, who had doubled earlier in the inning. Hancock loaded the bases with one out, but the rally ended when Jacob Witkowski grounded into an around-the-horn double play.

The Bulldogs scored twice in the seventh when Ketchen delivered a run-scoring single and Guillen doubled home Angel Gonzalez to make it 7-3.

Hancock opens the second half of WSC play on Thursday at rival Cuesta. First pitch is at 2:30 p.m. The Bulldogs host the Cougars on Saturday at 1 p.m.