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Despite a season-best outing from starting pitcher Aiden Phipps, the Ventura County Bucs (7-5-1, 3-5-1 Golden Coast Collegiate League) were routed 12-4 by the Hitmen (6-0, all GCCL) Friday at Pote Field in Griffith Park.
"With [good] hitting . . . There are adjustments made, and we didn't make those." Bucs head coach Spiro Psaltis said.
Psaltis hoped before the game that Phipps would pitch “four or five” innings. Phipps pitched to contact and efficiently dealt six innings without allowing an earned run.
“He battled pitch for pitch with a very good pitcher and gave us an opportunity,” Psaltis said. “I’m very happy with his outing and I would expect more of that moving forward.”
The six innings pitched is the most by any Bucs pitcher, starter or otherwise, in any game this season. Phipps made his living Friday inducing lazy fly balls with one strikeout and one hit batter. He suffered the unfortunate rarity of being tagged with the loss despite not allowing an earned run.
“He made the adjustments and suggestions that I had promoted for him.” Psaltis said.
Ventura’s bullpen fell apart in the 8th inning, allowing nine runs to cross and using three different pitchers between the second and third out of the frame. Offensively, the Bucs mustered only three base runners through the first seven innings.
Bright spots did arise with the bats, however, as designated hitter Gideon Ellis was 2-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. First baseman Andrew Snyder laced a 2-run double of his own and reached base safely in two of his four plate appearances.
Ventura rallied for three runs in the ninth, but the effort was too little, to late.
Ventura County will continue the home series against the Hitmen with a double header on Saturday, July 3rd, at LA Valley College. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 11:00am.