Five-Run First Propels Hancock Baseball to Conference Win over Ventura
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ventura | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 |
|
Allan Hancock | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
A five-run outburst in the first inning was more than enough for starting pitcher Isaiah Ramos and three relievers as the Allan Hancock College baseball team beat Ventura College 5-3 on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs and Pirates split their four-game season series. Hancock evened its record at 7-7 in Western State Conference play and improved to 15-11 overall. Ventura fell to 8-6 in conference and 15-11 for the season.
Ramos improved to 5-0 with seven solid innings. He allowed eight hits and three runs, though only one was earned. The Righetti High School graduate walked two and struck out four. Chance Miranda allowed one hit and one walk in two-thirds of an inning of relief. Kyle King struck out the only batter he faced to escape a jam in the eighth. Jacob Tonascia earned his second save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning. The sophomore struck out one.
Hancock wasted no time getting on the board against Ventura starter Zachary Martirano. Colby Barrick stayed hot and led off the first with a solo home run, his team-leading fourth home run of the season. Colton Studebaker was hit by a pitch and stole second. He moved to third when Hunter Christensen stroked a one-out single. Kyle von Tillow followed with a RBI-single to score Studebaker. Tim Mahoney drew a walk. Zach Lampreia hit a sacrifice fly to left to allow Christensen to tag up and give Hancock a 3-0 lead. Justin Daraban capped the inning with a two-run, two-out single that drove home von Tillow and Mahoney.
Hancock managed three hits the rest of game, but the five-run first inning proved to be more than enough. Daraban led the Bulldogs with two hits and 2 RBI. Lampreia, von Tillow, Lampreia, Barrick, Studebaker and Christensen had one hit apiece.
Ryan Coker, Erick Allegro and Robert Stephan had two hits each for the Pirates. Ventura outhit the Bulldogs nine to seven.
The Bulldogs will play a Cuesta College on Tuesday, April 5, before hosting the Cougars on Thursday, April 7. Both games will start a 2:30 p.m. Cuesta will start the series 8-4 in league and 15-9 overall. The Cougars are in a virtual tie for first with Santa Barbara, which is 9-5 in league. Hancock is tied for fourth with Oxnard, two games out of first.