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VALLEY GLEN - It took more than nine innings and over three hours, but the Ventura County Pirates found a way to win a wild one over the Long Beach Legends.
Pirates starter Garret Apker was firing on all cylinders in his three innings pitched, allowing just one hit and one run while striking out five Buccaneers. During his outing, the Pirates offense earned the lead by way of a first inning run scored by leadoff man Kyle Soberano, batted in by a Darren Taylor double. Carmelo Hernandez led off the bottom of the second with a solo home run, immediately answering the Legends' unearned run in the top of the inning.
While the Long Beach offense dominated the next four innings, scoring six runs to the Pirates' one and amassing a 7-3 lead, it was the eighth inning that sparked a fire in the Ventura County dugout. Trenton Pallas got aboard with a bunt single, Darren Taylor walked on six pitches, and then Jason Ajamian laid down a perfect bunt to reach first base safely and load the bases. Finally, Carmelo Hernandez blasted an 0-1 pitch over the wall for a grand slam, tying the game at 7-7.
The Pirates sent in Derek Potts to pitch the ninth inning, and after conceding a leadoff hit, CJ Yogi hit a line drive right to Kyle Soberano, who caught it on the fly and expertly tossed it to Jason Ajamian at first to turn the double play. Potts then struck out the next batter to force extra innings.
After drawing a base on balls, Mark Stanford scored the Legends' final run off of Jacob Martin's two-out single, but the Pirates answered this in the ensuing frame. Jason Ajamian was walked on four pitches, and then Johnny Pacheco and his hot bat drove him home with a triple to tie the game at eight runs each. Finally, Pacheco would sprint home on a wild pitch to win the contest for the Pirates by a 9-8 score.
The Pirates will finish their suspended game and then play their regularly scheduled game Sunday at LA Valley College against the Inland Valley Buccaneers