Opportunistic Ventura Remains Unbeaten in WSC Play

Ventura College hitters usually don’t blast baseballs all over the field, nor do Pirate pitchers throw untouchable fastballs and sliders.

Coach Gary Anglin’s team is more concerned about doing whatever it takes to win--a characteristic Western State Conference opponents quickly are discovering in the Pirates.

Moorpark learned as much Saturday in visiting Ventura’s 5-3 WSC win, the team’s 10th victory in a row.

“I give them credit, they’re a good team,” said Moorpark all-conference pitcher Mike Jenkins, who worked 8 2/3 innings only to fall to 2-3. “They’re the ones who take advantage (of opportunities). I think they’re a better team than Pierce.”

That point might be argued, but the surprising Pirates (13-3, 6-0 in conference play) are only a half-game behind first-place Pierce (15-1-1, 7-0).

“At the beginning of the year, coach said that (people) didn’t expect much from us,” said Ventura catcher Mitch King, who had two hits and threw out three baserunners. “But we got it in our minds that we would be better than what they thought we would be.”

In an emotion-filled game, Ventura used four pitchers to hold Moorpark (9-7, 3-4) to one run through the first eight innings. Meanwhile, the Pirates manufactured their runs on 12 hits.

Freshman right-hander Pete Alamillo, who came on to relieve in the third inning, allowed only two hits over four innings to improve to 4-0.

David Frazier led the Pirate offense with three hits and Chris Marsden and Ryan McMullen joined King with two each.

Moorpark managed to take only a 1-0 lead after loading the bases with none out in the second inning. Ventura tied the score in the third on a run-scoring single by Kwinn Knight and took the lead in the fourth when McMullen delivered a pinch-hit RBI double off the fence in left.

The score remained 2-1 until Marsden delivered a clutch two-run single on a 3-and-2 Jenkins offering in the top of the eighth. King accounted for the Pirates’ final run with a ninth-inning single.

Moorpark, which stranded nine runners, scored a pair of runs in the ninth on a walk, a hit and an error.

Del Marine, Billy Hall and Brian Vasey each had two hits for Moorpark.

A scuffle broke out between opposing players after the top of the ninth. Both benches emptied but order was restored within minutes. Three Moorpark players--Jenkins, second baseman Von Herron and pitcher Jason Mitchell--were ejected.