Vaqueros score five in ninth but come up one short at Ventura, 6-5

After trailing 6-0 through eight innings on Thursday, SBCC staged a ninth-inning rally but came up one run short in a 6-5 baseball loss at Ventura.

SBCC falls to 11-7 and 3-2 in the WSC North while the Pirates improved to 7-11 and 2-6.

Zach Orn and Trevor Davis walked to open the top of the ninth and Anthony Betancourt replaced Travis Nelson on the mound. Brandon Lawrence greeted him with a three-run homer, cutting the deficit in half, 6-3. Noah Williamson singled and Ryan Guardino doubled, extending his hitting streak to 16 games.

Jacob Bravo hit a sacrifice fly to right for the first out to score Williamson. Alonzo Rubalcaba delivered a two-out RBI double to put the tying run on second base.

JuanCarlos Rodarte came in to pitch and got Kyle Froemke on a grounder to shortstop. Jarred Greene walked to put runners on first and second with two outs, then Rodarte secured the save by striking out Orn, the Vaqueros' 10th batter of the inning.

Blake Corsentino (3-4), a former Ventura High standout, started for SBCC and went the first 5.2 innings. He gave up a two-run single to Jacob Martinez in the fourth and a two-run double to Adrian Sandoval in a four-run sixth. Corsentino allowed six runs (four earned) on 11 hits with six strikeouts and no walks.

Blake Campbell held the Vaqueros scoreless for 6.2 innings, giving up just three hits with two strikeouts and four walks.

Bravo was 2-4 and Lawrence went 1-3 with his second homer and three RBIs. Left fielder Jarred Greene went 1-2 and drew three walks.

The Vaqueros will host Ventura in the rubber game of the three-game series on Saturday at 1 p.m.