VC Splits Double Header at Santa Barbara

The Ventura College softball team split a double header at Santa Barbara Tuesday, falling in the first game 5-3 before taking the nightcap 8-3. Brittany Perez had five hits on the day, including a home run and a double, with three RBI while Justine De La Rosa had three hits, including a home run, and three RBI. Anissa Padilla was solid in the circle for Ventura (21-10, 12-4), pitching 13 innings in the twin-bill giving up four earned runs.

Ventura 3, Santa Barbara 5
The Pirate defense was shaky in the first game of the double header, as they committed six errors leading to all five SBCC runs. In the bottom of the second, Ventura gave up a run with two errors, the had four miscues in the fourth inning, leading to four more runs.

Trailing 5-0, the Pirates mounted a comeback. Padilla led off the top of the fifth with a walk, and with one out, Julianne Abeloe singled. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch, and Arianna Rivas laid down a squeeze bunt single to score Padilla.  With two outs, Abeloe scored on another wild pitch to close the gap to 5-2.

In the top of the seventh inning, VC made one last comeback try. De La Rosa and Perez opened the frame with singles, and Julianna Andrade loaded the bases with a walk. After a short pop fly to centerfield for the first out, Christina Hart drove in a run on a fielder's choice for out number two. With runners on the corners, Ventura made the third out to end the game with a 5-3 loss.

Padilla went the distance in the circle to take the loss.  She only gave up one earned run, however, and recorded four strikeouts.

Ventura 8, Santa Barbara 3
Ventura rebounded in the nightcap to defeat Santa Barbara 8-3.  The Pirates began behind, once again, yielding one run in the first inning, but the bleeding stopped there.

Perez homered to lead off the fourth inning to tie the score at 1-1, and De La Rosa had a two-run bomb in the fifth, scoring Abeloe and giving VC at 3-1 advantage.

Ventura broke the game open with five runs in the sixth inning. With one out, Hart singled and Padilla doubled, leaving runners on second and third. Alyssa Frutos was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Abeloe recorded an RBI with a drag bunt to the right side for the second out of the inning. Rivas then walked to re-load the bases, and De La Rosa had a single to score another run. Ventura scored another run on a wild pitch, the Perez recorded two RBI with a double to make the score 8-1.

The Vaqueros scored twice in the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Pirates were able to close the door an inning later for the 8-3 victory.

Padilla had a solid pitching performance once again, picking up the win while scattering nine hits and allowing three runs.

Ventura drops 1 1/2 games behind first place Hancock in the standings and face a key road test at Cuesta on Thursday April 13.