Another day of doubleheader play awaited the Goldpanners and Ventura County Pirates on Sunday. The games marked the third and fourth of the five-game series, with the Goldpanners being the winners of the first two. Game 1: Goldpanners fall after big sixth inning helps Pirates pull away for 11-4 win Much like the first two meetings, it seemed the opening game on Sunday would be a tightly contested battle.
For the majority of the game, runs were traded back and forth before the Goldpanners found themselves facing a late deficit before going on to lose 11-4. “We got behind, and it was one of those games where we just got beat,” Goldpanners field manager Bret Lachemann said. “They just beat us in every facet of the game.
So, just move on to the next one.” Runs were at a premium in the opening innings. Each team’s first three trips to the plate ended scoreless.
Both lineups threatened with runners in scoring position but could not take advantage of the opportunities. The Pirates opened the scoring in the fourth. Two errors in the inning for the Goldpanners proved costly, as they led to the first run of the game.
After that, a single from Ethan Kearney drove in the second. From there, both teams began to find a groove. The Goldpanners kicked off three consecutive one-run innings in the bottom half with an Isaiah Munoz single and later equalized in the fifth on a Brandon Wyland RBI.
Goldpanners’ starter Shaw Lee’s day was done after the fifth. He went five complete inn.
