WILMINGTON, CA – The Pirates (8-9,6-8) needed extra frames for their third consecutive game, but this time, fell short in 12 innings to the East L.A. Dodgers 3-2 on Friday night at Banning High.
After five scoreless innings, the Pirates drew first blood with a two-run top of the sixth. Alec Morabito and Nathan Virgen’s RBI scored Blake James and Kyle Jackson respectively to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.
Micah Beyer pitched phenomenally for 5.1 innings allowing no runs and six strikeouts, but faltered in the sixth giving up two runs to knot the game at 2 apiece. Aaron Reynoso entered with one out and runners on second and third and got out of the jam. He finished with 4 innings, no runs and five strikeouts.
No one scored again until the bottom of the 12th when Morabito who played center field earlier in the game finished at pitcher. With a runner at first base and one out, Morabito attempted a pickoff throw, but misfired and the ball rolled into right field. By the time the Pirates picked it up, another error was made trying to throw the ball back to the pitcher Morabito and the ball rolled into shallow left field allowing the runner to score all the way from first to win the game.
The Pirates head to Victor Valley College to face the Heat in a league doubleheader Saturday afternoon.