Ventura Sweeps Past Agoura in 9-4 Victory

This wasn’t a must-win situation, but Ventura approached the second game of the District 16 American Legion National League playoffs as if it were the most important game of the season.

After rallying from a three-run deficit to win the opener in 11 innings the previous day, Ventura scored four runs in the fifth inning and four in the sixth en route to a 9-4 victory over Agoura on Friday at St. Bonaventure High to sweep the best-of-three series.

Ventura (19-7) plays Ojai Santa Paula, the National League regular-season champion, for the district title Sunday at Nordhoff High.

“Agoura comes ready to play,” said Brian Harrison, Ventura coach. “We appreciate that and we like that brand of baseball.

“They always play us tough and this game was no exception. Even when we got that big lead in the fifth, they got right back in the game.”

Gilbert Infante of Ventura scattered eight hits and allowed two earned runs, striking out nine and walking three.

“We really looked at this as a must-win because we knew if we won, no matter what happens Sunday, we advance to the [Area tournament],” Infante said. “We wanted to close it out and not have to worry about a game [today].”

Agoura (13-16) scored in the first inning on a double by Mark Taylor, but Ventura tied it on Eric Robinson’s sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Ventura loaded the bases in the fifth and scored the go-ahead run on a walk to Chris Moore.

Agoura was forced to pitch to Stefan Klock, who was intentionally walked three times in the opener. Klock batted over .500 against Agoura during the regular season and hit a grand slam home run to spark Ventura’s 6-5 victory over Agoura in the regular-season finale Tuesday.

Klock doubled to score two runs and a sacrifice fly by Brian Minkel gave Ventura a 5-1 lead.

Agoura closed to within 5-4 in its half of the fifth with three runs, two on run-scoring singles by Chris Denove and Jason Lefkowitz.

Ventura put the game away in the sixth, when Frick singled home a run, Klock hit a sacrifice fly and two runs scored on an error.