Ventura scores three in ninth to edge Vaqueros, 8-7

SBCC scored three in the eighth to take a 7-4 lead on Thursday, then saw Ventura score three of its own in the bottom of the ninth for an 8-7 walk-off baseball win at Pirate Park.

The Vaqueros fell to 12-10 overall and 5-6 in the WSC North. Ventura (15-11, 7-4) won its third straight to move into a first-place tie with Cuesta.

Tommy Holguin went 2-4 and hit his first college home run leading off the third to put the Vaqueros ahead 3-1. Holguin singled, stole second, was sacrificed to third and scored on a groundout by Patrick Caulfield to make it 4-2 in the fifth. The Pirates tied it at 4 on two unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Shortstop Logan Pollack went 3-4 for SBCC and Caulfield and Phil Quartararo were both 2-5.

The Vaqueros took a 7-4 lead with three runs in the eighth. Elijah Hodges scored on a wild pitch and Quartararo, who had singled, went to second and third on the wild pitch. Mason Metcalfe delivered an RBI single and then tallied the seventh run when Pollack singled and the left fielder made an error.

Zane Chittendon walked to lead off the bottom of the ninth and Metcalfe, the Vaqueros' third baseman, replaced Dylan Porter on the mound. It was Metcalfe's first pitching appearance of the year. Baylor Tovar and Ethan Balolong singled, scoring pinch-runner Jacob Martinez. Pinch-hitter Vito Ferrante singled to load the bases.

Jake McBride came on in relief and Jacob Harris hit a sacrifice fly to left, bringing in Tovar with the tying run, 7-7. TJ Foreman, who went 4-5 with three RBIs, followed with the walk-off single.

The Vaqueros will try to get a split of their four-game series with Ventura on Friday when the Pirates come to Pershing Park at 2:30 p.m.