Moorpark Rally Falls Short at End : Baseball: Raiders score three runs in the bottom of the ninth only to lose to Hancock, 6-5.

It seemed so inconsequential when it happened. Just a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning to enhance a fairly comfortable lead.

But the two-out shot over the right-field fence by Hancock College’s Frank Perez grew increasingly important with every pitch in the bottom half of the inning.

The homer was the difference in Hancock’s 6-5 victory over Moorpark in a Western State Conference North Division game Saturday.

Moorpark (24-10, 14-6 in conference play) scored three runs in the ninth but left the bases loaded as Hancock (25-13, 14-6) survived the Raiders’ last rally to pull even with them atop the division standings.

The Bulldogs, however, walked a tightrope before going home the victors.

Right-hander Seth Bean (6-2) worked eight excellent innings for the Bulldogs before ace Arias Hippolito relieved in the ninth, with Hancock leading 6-2. Bean scattered nine hits, struck out three and walked one.

Hippolito, a right-hander with four saves, quickly got himself into trouble by walking the first three batters.

He then struck out Adrian Harris and retired Gabe Kapler on a short fly to left. But he couldn’t put away designated hitter Pat Queenan, who lined a 1-2 hanging curve ball to center to score two runs and cut the deficit to 6-4.

Hippolito then walked Jason Adamson to load the bases and Britten Pond to force in a run.

But that was all Hancock Coach John Osborne could take. He summoned Robert Anderson from the bullpen and the sidearming right-hander retired Aaron Whitley on a fly to left to end the game.

The home run by Perez, a left-handed hitter who had entered the game in right in the eighth, came against Raider starter Chris Devlin (7-2). It was his first homer of the season.

Devlin, a left-handed sophomore from Simi Valley High, struck out nine and allowed 10 hits. He was tagged for two runs in the third on a single by John Angelson that broke a scoreless tie and another in the fourth on a double by Scott McWherter that scored Casey Brooks.

The Bulldogs added two more in the eighth to take a 5-1 lead on consecutive run-scoring singles by John Teixeira and James Grennan.

Bean, who was in absolute command until the seventh, economized his pitches masterfully. He threw only 63 pitches through six innings and allowed only one runner past second base in that span.