VC Softball Drops Pair at Victor Valley

The Ventura College softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader Friday at Victor Valley College in Victorville, 6-5 and 9-6. Abby Ibarra had three hits, two runs batted in and scored a run in the two games while Samantha Soto knocked in three runs for VC.

In the opener, a fourth-inning surge proved decisive as VC fell 6-5 to the host Rams.

The Pirates built an early 4-2 lead after two innings before Victor Valley answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to move in front for good. VC added a run in the sixth to pull within one, but the comeback bid came up just short in the seventh as the hosts held on in a game that featured 13 combined hits and six total errors.

Ventura struck first with a run in the top of the first, then put together its biggest inning in the second. Trailing 2-1 after Victor Valley plated two in the bottom of the first, the Pirates responded with a three-run second to reclaim a 4-2 advantage. Soto delivered the biggest swing for Ventura, connecting on a triple and finishing with three RBIs to pace the offense.

Victor Valley broke through in the fourth, pushing across three runs to flip the game at 5-4. The hosts added an insurance run in the fifth.

VC continued to battle and tightened the score again in the sixth inning. Aubrey Aguirre drove in a run to cut the deficit to 6-5, giving the Pirates late-game momentum. The Pirates put runners on throughout the contest, leaving eight on base, but could not find the final timely hit needed to complete the rally.

Baylany Magana turned in a two-way effort for the Pirates, going 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored while also working a complete 6.0 innings in the circle. Magana allowed eight hits and six earned runs, striking out four. Defensively, Ventura committed just one error, compared with five for Victor Valley, but the Pirates were unable to fully take advantage of the extra chances.

Ventura finished with seven hits and four RBIs, highlighted by Soto's three driven in and Aguirre's late run-scoring plate appearance.

Another late rally by the Pirates brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh inning in Game 2 of the twin bill, but the comeback bid again came up short in a 9-6 setback.

VVC built what proved to be the decisive cushion in the middle innings, scoring three runs in the third and four more in the fourth to take a 7-0 lead. Ventura chipped away with single runs in the fifth and sixth before mounting a four-run rally in the top of the seventh, closing the gap to 9-6 before the host Rams recorded the final out.

VC's offense found its rhythm late, with the Pirates finishing with eight hits and drawing eight walks while leaving 10 runners on base. Ibarra led the attack, going 3-for-3 with two RBI as the Pirates' most consistent threat at the plate. Layah Hicks added a hit, a run scored and an RBI, driving in Ventura's first run in the fifth inning to break up the shutout and give the lineup some needed momentum.

That momentum carried into the sixth and seventh. The Pirates scratched across a run in the sixth to cut the deficit to 7-2, but Victor Valley answered with two runs in the bottom half to restore a seven-run advantage at 9-2. Undeterred, the Pirates continued to pressure in their final at-bat, stringing together quality plate appearances and capitalizing on traffic on the bases to push four runs across in the seventh and force the Rams to go to the final batter to secure the win.

Defensively, Ventura played clean softball, committing no errors in the field despite Victor Valley's 11-hit output. The Pirates' defense limited extra opportunities and helped keep the game within reach, while the pitching staff worked around traffic in several innings.

Despite the setback, Ventura's late push, highlighted by Ibarra's three-hit performance and Hicks' RBI knock, underscored the Pirates' resilience on the road. 

The Pirates will next make their home debut on Tuesday Feb. 24 hosting Antelope Valley.  First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 pm at the VC Softball COmplex.