Cuesta Baseball opened its three-game series against Western State Conference rival Ventura with a dramatic, 10-9 win.  The Cougars struck first in the seesaw battle with three runs on three hits in the first inning, but the Pirates pounded out five hits the next inning to take their first lead, 4-3.  The Cougars reclaimed the lead on First Baseman Tristan Usher's three-run home run in the 2nd, only to have Ventura knot the game again in the 3rd and take the lead in 4th, 8-6.  Cuesta finally caught up and tied the game in the 8th, when Usher scored on all-WSC Second Baseman Sean Strittmatter's sacrifice fly.  In the 9th, Victor Heredia (pict) earned himself a victory on the mound by hurling his third inning straight scoreless, before drawing a walk in the 9^th inning and scoring the winning run on Max Hunter's game-clinching RBI-single.  The victory moved the Cougars to 10-8 on the season and 5-2 in WSC play.

Cuesta, due to expected inclement weather, has pushed Thursday game in Ventura back to Friday (2 PM), but the Cougars are still scheduled to host the Pirates back in SLO on Saturday (1 PM)