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The Ventura County Pirates (15-13-1, 13-5 Best of the West) hosted the East LA Dodgers at Los Angeles Valley College on Saturday, with the Pirates losing their first game at home by a score of 8-1. The Pirates and Dodgers put on a pitching duel throughout the first seven innings, until an eight run eighth inning broke the game wide open, catapulting the Dodgers to victory.
Heading into their matchup, the Pirates had a home winning streak of 15 games dating back to a win last season against the SoCal Shepherds.
Off the heels of a stellar showcase from starter Andrew Dusablon in their previous victory, the Pirates sent right hander Dylan Goodrich to start against the Dodgers. After putting runners at the corners, Goodrich was able to trust his defense to get out of the first inning unscathed. After the first inning, Goodrich was virtually unhittable for the Pirates.
“Dylan pitched probably one of the best games ever in the 11 year history of the Pirates,” Pirates head coach George Vranua said. “It’s really a shame that we wasted that performance and that we just couldn’t do anything offensively.”
Goodrich bounced back to strike out 10 hitters in his next four innings of work, including striking out the side twice within that span. After surrendering a one-out double in the first inning, no Dodger hitter could attack any pitch that Goodrich tossed. Goodrich tossed five no-hit innings in his last five innings of work, while not walking a single hitter within that span. In what would be his best start this season, Goodrich finished with a final statline of 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, and 11 K, setting the team record for strikeouts by a single pitcher in a single game this season. Goodrich also took the team lead in strikeouts for the season as he now has 32.
Although Goodrich silenced the Dodgers hitters in his outing, the Pirates hitters had just as much trouble getting guys on base as well. The Pirates were able to put four hits and five runners on base in the first three innings, but were unable to crack another hit until the bottom of the ninth inning.
The lack of offensive firepower would prove to be a detriment, as Pirates reliever Josiah Castillo (L, 0-1) was unable to hold the scoreless tie in his first outing as a Pirate. The Dodgers were able to pounce on the Pirates bullpen, sporting eight unanswered runs in the top half of the eighth inning, putting the game far out of reach. The Pirates were able to avoid a shutout, as an Angelo Aleman RBI single would bring the score to its final outcome.
The Pirates will be back at Los Angeles Valley College on Sunday to host the Long Beach Legends, with first pitch scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
Box Score: https://www.sunsetleaguebaseball.com/game/show/35452009?subseason=818122&referrer=7179312
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