Pirates open season with home losses to Lassen

Porterville College's bats appeared ready for its three-game, season-opening series at home against Lassen College as the Pirates totaled 24 hits. Unfortunately, PC's pitching had a rough time keeping Lassen's offense in check and Porterville was wept over the weekend by a combined score of 36-9.

The Pirates won't have time to dwell on the tough losses as they return to action on Wednesday in search of their first win at Compton College on Wednesday (Jan. 30) at 4 p.m.

The season began on Friday with a doubleheader at Pirate Stadium. PC dropped the opener 13-3 and fell in Game 2 by a final score of 10-2.

Things looked good for Porterville early in the first game. After allowing a run in the top of the first, PC got an RBI double from Garrett Behrens in the bottom of the first and rallied for a pair of runs in the third thanks to run-scoring singles from Nico Portillo and Justin Turner to jump ahead 3-1.

But that lead didn't last long as Lassen put up five runs in the fifth to go ahead for good.

Behrens went 2 for 3 to lead PC at the plate. Matt Cox pitched in his season debut, allowing just one earned run (five runs) and three hits over 4 2/3 innings. Of the 13 runs the Pirates allowed, only six were earned due to seven PC errors.

Lassen kept its hot bats going in Game 2. Lassen jumped out to an 8-0 lead before PC finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh. Isaiah Moscorro hit a RBI single and another Pirate came in to score on a bases-loaded doubleplay ground out.

Brandon Dodd, Jacobe Vargas, and Moscorro all went 2 for 4 at the plate to lead the Pirates in Game 2. Derek Steidly II took the loss after allowing five runs over 4 1/3 innings.

A new day on Saturday proved to be just as unkind to the Pirates. PC closed the three-game set with a 13-4 defeat.

Porterville got its offense going early, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. Vargas delivered the big hit, a two-run double to cap the rally and supply PC with a 3-1 advantage.

But Lassen regained the lead with a two-run, fourth-inning to go ahead 4-3. A seven-run, seventh-inning put the game out of reach to secure the Lassen series victory.

Leeland Crawford went 3 for 5 to lead Porterville at the plate. He had an RBI single in the fourth. Starting pitcher Alfredo Vasquez was also victim to some shaky Pirate defense. He allowed just one earned run over four innings.