2014 Ventura College Softball News
A pair of sophomores led five Pirates on the All-Western State Conference Gold Division team in women's softball for the 2014 season. Catcher Roxanne Lopez earned first-team honors along with outfielder Sabrina Cerda. Lopez is a sophomore from Channel Islands high School while Cerda is a Buena High School product. Pitcher Alex Thorp, shortstop Ashley Cerda and outfielder Ashley Thorp all earned second-team All-WSC accolades.
At the beginning of the day, the Pirate softball team, trailing first-place Hancock by two games, had a chance. They were in Santa Maria for a double-header with the Bulldogs and could have created a four-way tie for the Western State Conference Gold Division title. That chance all but went away when AHC scored four times in the first inning of game one, previewing a sweep, 10-2 and 12-2, as the Pirates ended the season dropping their final two contests. Sabrina Cerda had a pair of extra-base hits and three RBI on the day to lead VC (20-20-1, 11-7) and Ashley Cerda had a pair of hits.
The Ventura College softball team closed out their home schedule in a big way, defeating Los Angeles Pierce 19-0 at the VC Softball Complex Thursday. Sabrina Cerda led the offense, hitting for the cycle in four at bats. She had six RBI on the day, including four on a grand slam home run. Alex Thorp was 3-4 with a double and a home run with four RBI and she had six strikeouts as the starting pitcher. Roxanne Lopez was 3-4 with a home run and two runs batted in and Ashley Thorp had a triple and an RBI for VC (20-18-1, 11-5).
The Pirate softball team split a pair of games with Santa Barbara City College Tuesday, falling 7-3 in the opener before defeating the Vaqueros 2-1 in the second game. Sabrina Cerda had a pair of doubles on the day and Veronica Garcia also had a pair of hits. Alex Thorp pitched both games for the Pirates (19-18-1, 10-5) who ramain in a tie for third place with the Vaqueros behind Allan Hancock (12-3) and Cuesta (11-4).
In a make-up of an earlier rain-out, the Pirate softball team traveled to Walnut and dropped a pair of games to Mt. San Antonio College Friday evening, 7-4 and 8-0. Veronica Garcia registered three hits on the night, including a pair of doubles, with a run scored and an RBI while Ashley Cerda and Emily Heath also collected two hits, each. Ashley Cerda and Ashley Thorp each recorded an extra-base hit for VC (18-17-1, 9-4).
Ventura College softball pitcher Alex Thorp has been on a tear as of late, in the batter's box. The sophomore continued that hot streak Thursday as she went 4-4 with two RBI as Ventura easily defeated cross-county rival Moorpark 14-1 in the East County. Alex was also the winning pitcher against the Raiders. Meanwhile Roxanne Lopez had three hits, including a home run, with three RBI and Ashley Thorp also had a round-tripper with two RBI. Sabrina Cerda recorded a double with a pair of RBI, as well, for VC (18-15-1, 9-4).
Ventura College resumed Western State Conference Gold Division play in softball, easily sweeping a double-header in Oxnard, 15-0 and 9-2. Alex Thorp pitched both wins for the Pirates, allowing two runs and eight hits over 12 innings while striking out 10. She also had four hits and five RBI at the plate while scoring three runs. Ashley Cerda had three hits, three runs scored, and four RBI on the day and Veronica Garcia also had three hits with three RBI and three runs for VC (17-15-1, 8-4).
In a make-up from an earlier rain-out, the Pirate softball team split a pair of games in Santa Clarita on Saturday. VC defeated the host College of the Canyons Cougars 3-0 in the first game before falling to Santa Ana College 9-5 in the second. Ashley Thorp had four hits in the two games for Ventura (15-15-1, 6-4) and Alyssa Mendoza had a pair of hits and scored a run.
Entering the day a half game behind first-place Cuesta, the Pirate softball team dropped a pair of heartbreakers to the Cougars Tuesday at the VC Softball Complex. Ventura fell 9-8 in eight innings in the opener before coming back from a 7-0 deficit in the night cap, only to fall 8-7. In both games VC (14-14-1, 6-4) had the tying and winning runs on base when they recorded the final out. Ashley Thorp led Ventura at the plate with four hits, four RBI and three runs scored on the day and Veronica Garcia produced three hits and a run scored.
The VC softball team struggled on the final day of the Ventura College Spring Games Sunday, dropping a pair of games to Antelope Valley, 8-0 , and Cypress 11-2 at the VC Softball Complex. Hits and runs were a rare commodity for the Pirates (14-12-1, 6-2) as they manages just five safeties and two runs on the day. Ashley Thorp managed the only extra base hit of the day, a double, and she scored a run in the finale.
The Pirate softball team split a pair of contests on the first day of the Ventura College Spring Games at the VC Softball Complex on Saturday. The Pirates (14-10-1, 6-2) defeated Mt. San Jacinto 4-1 before falling to Cerritos 10-4. Alex Thorp scattered eight hits in the first game to pick up the win and appeared in relief of Olivia Hernandez in the second game. Melissa Serrano led the Pirates against the Eagles with a pair of hits and two RBI and Ashley Thorp was 1-3 with two RBI in the nightcap.
Two days after marching into the top spot in the conference alone, the VC softball came back to the pack a bit Thursday with a 3-1 home loss to Allan Hancock College. Ventura (13-9-1, 6-2) fell half a game behind the Bulldogs and Cuesta and one game ahead of Santa Barbara through one round of conference play. Ventura was limited to four hits, a single by Ashley Thorp and a double by Alex Thorp in the final inning, and singles by Ashley Cerda and Emily Heath also recorded singles in the game.
The Pirate softball team bounced back from its first conference loss in a big way with a pair of double-digit wins in a sweep of Los Angeles Pierce on Tuesday, 24-0 and 18-0. Roxanne Lopez had six hits in the two games, including two home runs and two doubles, with six RBI while scoring seven runs. Ashley Thorp was 5-7 with seven RBI and five runs scored while Emily Heath scored five runs with five hits, including a pair of round-trippers, and four RBI on the day for Ventura (13-8-1, 6-1). Alex Thorp and Olivia Hernandez each tossed one-hit shutouts in the five-inning games.
Simply put, the Pirate softball team dug themselves into a hole that was too deep. VC spotted host Santa Barbara with two runs in the first and another pair in the third before attempting a comeback. Unfortunately they fell a run short as the Pirates fell to the Vaqueros 4-3, falling back into the thick of a four-team mixer for first place in the Western State Conference Gold Division. Julia Garcia had a pair of hits, including an RBI double, and Emily Heath had a two-RBI single in the game for the Pirates (11-8-1, 4-1). Roxanne Lopez added a hit and a run scored in the contest.
The Pirates were not kind Tuesday in welcoming their cross-county rivals at the VC Softball Complex. Ventura swept defending conference champion Moorpark 17-2 and 8-0 in a double header to claim sole possession of first place in the Western State Conference Gold Division. Alex Thorp was 5-5 at the plate on the day and pitched both victories. Meanwhile Roxanne Lopez had three hits on the day, including a triple, with five RBI. Julia Garcia smacked her eighth home run of the season and knocked in four runs.
Alex Thorp could not have been better Thursday. The Pirates' sophomore pitcher faced 15 batters in VC's 13-0 victory over Oxnard and sent all 15 back to the dugout. Her perfect game with five strikeouts, along with her bat, 2-3 with a triple and a double and three RBI, powered Ventura (9-7-1, 2-0) to the Western State Conference Gold Division win over the Condors at the VC Softball Complex. Julia Garca was 2-2 with a triple and three RBI while Sabrina Cerda was 2-2 with three runs batted in. Ashely Thorp also had a hit with an RBI.
